Researchers estimated that more than half of children aged 9 to 13 in the U.S. Virgin Islands have been previously infected with dengue virus, making them eligible for vaccination, according to findings published in MMWR.
EPA to Investigate U.S. Virgin Islands Refinery Incidents
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to send experts and staff to a recently reopened U.S. Caribbean refinery as soon as this week to conduct an investigation, the agency said in a Tuesday statement after some residents said an odor coming from the refinery caused them to feel ill.
The Limetree Bay refinery in St. Croix exceeded hydrogen sulfide levels late last week and Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Virgin Island’s Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR).
The “noxious” odor caused grammar schools and a technical education center to close in-person learning after students and staff reported feeling nauseous last week.
EPA to send staff to U.S. Virgin Islands following refinery releases
4/28/2021
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to send experts and staff to the Limetree Bay refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands as soon as this week to conduct an investigation after recent incidents at the plant caused some residents to feel ill, the agency said in a statement.
The EPA is conducting the investigation with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health.
The agency said is looking to determine “the level of the exceedances, the composition of the releases, the duration and cause of the incidents, the corrective actions taken or to be taken, the potential public health impacts, and how to best prevent future incidents.” (Reporting by Laura Sanicola, Editing by Franklin Paul)