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.
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ABC News reports that President Joe Biden has declared an emergency in the U.S. Virgin Islands regarding serious lead contamination of the water.
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Tests on St.
Croix revealed lead levels over 100 times higher than limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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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.
