Puerto Ricans Desperate For Water, Are Now Resorting To Toxic Water

Could the President of the United States be capable of lying about the effectiveness of his Puerto Rico relief strategy? Well, the public will be the one to judge. Donald Trump, who is fully aware now that Puerto Rico is indeed an island surrounded by big water, has boasted to the media about how great a job his administration has done with Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

However, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEMA) has announced in a statement, that things in the U.S. territory are only getting darker with each day that goes by. As a matter of fact, Puerto Rico is closer to becoming a wasteland than it is to getting back on its feet.

There are reports of residents obtaining, or trying to obtain, drinking water from wells at hazardous waste “Superfund” sites in Puerto Rico. EPA advises against tampering with sealed and locked wells, or drinking from these wells, as it may be dangerous to people’s health.

EPA release, October 11, 2017

In case you’re not aware, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a “Superfund” site “is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. These sites are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).”

Just to give you an idea of the danger that the people of Puerto Rico could be facing, there are 18 “Superfund” sites across the tiny island. And even though these are supposed to be priorities, some of these sites date back to 1983.

To make matters worse, the EPA has warned Puerto Rican residents that there is a high chance of raw sewage getting leaked into local waterways due to infrastructural damage.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people should not use the water from rivers, streams and coastal water to drink, bathe, wash, or to cook with unless first boiling this water for a minimum of one minute,” Said the EPA in its statement. “If boiling the water is not possible, water may be disinfected with bleach.”

As of now, only 64% of Puerto Ricans have access to clean drinking water. In Guaynabo, the city where Trump mockingly tossed paper towels to the crowd, that number is in the low 30’s. Adding insult to injury, and in spite of the humanitarian disaster that our American citizens in Puerto Rico are facing, President Trump has threatened to relinquish federal assistance to the island and blamed “Fake News” for everything.

Stay strong Puerto Rico.

Article inspired by Splinter News // Puerto Ricans Are Resorting To Drinking Toxic Water As Trump Threatens To Abandon Them