Emergency Declared in , US Virgin Islands , Over Lead Contamination.
ABC News reports that President Joe Biden has declared
an emergency in the U.S. Virgin Islands regarding
serious lead contamination of the water. .
ABC News reports that President Joe Biden has declared
an emergency in the U.S. Virgin Islands regarding
serious lead contamination of the water. .
Tests on St. Croix revealed lead levels
over 100 times higher than limits set by
the Environmental Protection Agency. .
Residents have been told by officials
to stop using tap water and stick to
bottled water that is now being distributed.
Lead consumption can have devastating
effects on childhood development,
behavior and IQ scores.
However, experts have
cautioned that the results may be skewed
by testing which does not meet EPA standards.
Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech lead and water
expert who helped identify the lead problems in Flint,
Michigan, warns that the results do not reflect reality.
Residents of the islands claim that water
discoloration out of the tap had grown worse in
recent months, prompting officials to conduct tests.
In early November, both local and
federal officials conducted tests to uncover
the source of the lead contamination.
A final report on the results of those detailed
tests is expected in mid-December.
According to Andrew Smith, head of the Virgin Islands
Water and Power Authority, approximately
3,400 homes have been impacted by the emergency.