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 devastatingbr effects on childhood development, br behavior and IQ scores.br However, experts have br cautioned that the results may be skewedbr 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.