The Environmental Protection Agency has released $3 billion in long-awaited funding to help states remove lead from water pipelines, seeking to curb exposure to a toxin linked to illness.

The agency said on Tuesday that it is releasing the funding for states through the State Revolving Fund programs to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, which has been linked to illnesses and premature deaths.

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The funding release follows months of delay that stalled lead-pipe replacement projects in some states. In October, Gov. Maura Healey

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