EPA Working with U.S. Virgin Islands
Government on Ongoing Investigation
Contact:
Mary Mears (212) 637-3673; mears.mary@epa.gov
(Monday,
March 23, 2015) The EPA is working closely with the U.S. Virgin Island
government to investigate an incident reported to the U.S. Virgin Islands
government and EPA on March 20, 2015. On March 20, 2015, paramedics responded
to a call that four people in a family staying at the Sirenusa Condominium
Resort in Cruz Bay, St. John became very ill. Family members were subsequently
hospitalized.
The
EPA is looking into whether the family was made ill by a pesticide called
methyl bromide, which may have been used to fumigate a room at the resort on
March 18, 2015. The use of methyl bromide in the U.S. is restricted due to its
acute toxicity. Only certified applicators are allowed to use it in certain
agricultural settings and is not authorized for use in dwellings. Health
effects of acute exposure to methyl bromide are serious and include central
nervous system and respiratory system damage.
“Pesticides
can be very toxic and it is critically important that they be applied properly
and used only as approved by EPA,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional
Administrator. “Protecting people’s health in the U.S. Virgin Islands is of
paramount importance. The EPA is actively working to determine how this
happened and will make sure steps are taken to prevent this from happening to
others at these vacation apartments or elsewhere.”
The
EPA is continuing to work with the U.S. Virgin Islands government and others to
gather information and will ensure that appropriate steps are taken if it
determines any environmental regulations or laws were violated.
For
more information about EPA’s pesticide program and its requirements, visit http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.
For more information on methyl bromide, visit http://www.epa.gov/region2/methyl-bromide.pdf.