President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades.
“On a personal level, it’s been frightening and frustrating,” said resident Frandelle Gerard, executive director of Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, Inc.
Officials told residents to stop using their taps and began distributing vouchers for bottled water. Lead can have devastating effects on childhood development, behavior and IQ scores.
But experts consulted by The Associated Press said the frightening results may be false because they came from testing that does not meet EPA standards.
“The data should be thrown into the garbage,” said Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech lead and water expert who helped identify the lead problems in Flint, Michigan. Read More
Phillis, M. (2023, November 22). Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands – Caribbean Life. Www.caribbeanlife.com. https://www.caribbeanlife.com/biden-declares-emergency-over-lead-in-water-in-us-virgin-islands/
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