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