Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, released the following statement about mounting concerns over the possible consumption of contaminated water from a federally designated hazardous-waste site on the island of Puerto Rico:

“Weeks after Hurricane Maria pounded the island of Puerto Rico, millions of American citizens there continue to suffer without electricity or potable water. According to published reports, many of them may have consumed contaminated water drawn from a Superfund site that was distributed by a Puerto Rican water utility company.

“To save lives, we must know the extent to which our fellow citizens may have been exposed to these pollutants. That is why I am joining with my Democratic colleagues on the House Homeland Security Committee, to call for an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security to determine if Americans are drinking water from contaminated sources.

“People in Puerto Rico are hurting. Many storm victims have died. The response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the island demands robust congressional oversight to prevent more lives from being lost.”