Biden’s Emergency Declaration Aims to Address St. Croix Water Crisis Within 90 Days

President Joe Biden has partially approved a request for a federal state of emergency declaration to address the ongoing water crisis in St. Croix. This development was shared by Daryl Jaschen, Director of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), during a recent press briefing at the Government House.

Jaschen noted that for a complete emergency declaration, it’s necessary to show that local resources are inadequate. However, he reassured that St. Croix currently has a sufficient supply of drinking water. The situation remains dynamic, with federal assistance from FEMA ready to step in if there are disruptions in the bottled water supply chain.

The granted partial emergency declaration provides the USVI with 90 days of support, focusing on direct federal aid, emergency protective measures, and improving community conditions. This includes additional technical assistance not available under the local state of emergency declaration.

A significant benefit of this federal support is the financial relief it provides. For instance, if the Water and Power Authority faces challenges in infrastructure repair, federal funds can now be directly utilized for contracting services, offering a substantial financial advantage.

Jaschen also disclosed ongoing discussions about enlisting the Army Corps of Engineers to aid in infrastructural evaluations, aiming for a strengthened partnership in addressing the crisis. Continued dialogues with FEMA aim to demonstrate progress or stabilization in the situation on St. Croix.

Efforts are underway by various government departments to alleviate the impact of water discoloration and heavy metal contamination in parts of St. Croix’s water distribution system. Initiatives include distributing vouchers for bottled water purchases and sourcing at-home water filtration systems, though the timeline for the latter is still uncertain.

Testing and thorough assessments of the water distribution system continue, with WAPA and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources at the forefront. These efforts are directed towards pinpointing the specific locations of lead and copper contamination, enabling focused remediation through the “Find and Replace Program,” as outlined by the VITEMA director.