Pesticide that poisoned family on Caribbean vacation also found in Puerto Rico

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Pesticide that poisoned family on Caribbean vacation and left two sons in critical condition also found in Puerto Rico
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Methyl Bromide was improperly used in U.S. Virgin Islands resort that family was staying in when they were poisoned
Steve Esmond, his wife Theresa Divine and their two teenage sons fell seriously ill while staying at the Sirenusa Resort in St. John
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the toxic pesticide may have been improperly applied in locations in Puerto Rico as well
EPA regional administrator Judith Enck said she is not aware of anyone sickened by the pesticide in Puerto Rico

By Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 16:45 EST, 16 April 2015 | Updated: 04:40 EST, 17 April 2015

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The toxic pesticide that poisoned a U.S. family on vacation in the Virgin Islands has also been improperly used in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday after a federal investigation.

Officials said documents suggest methyl bromide may have been improperly applied in various locations in Puerto Rico.

EPA regional administrator Judith Enck said the agency and Puerto Rico's Department of Agriculture are investigating where and when the pesticide was used and how much was applied.

Steve Esmond (left) and his wife, Dr Theresa Devine (right), and their two teenage sons fell seriously ill during their stay at a resort on the island of St. John. The toxic pesticide that poisoned the family has been found in various locations in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday

'The EPA is taking this very seriously,' she said in a phone interview. 'I can't tell you how widespread this is... We're very early in our investigation.'

Sean, 16, (pictured) and his 14-year-old brother Ryan remain in comas two weeks after being hospitalized due to being poisoned by methyl bromide

Enck said she is not aware of anyone sickened by methyl bromide in Puerto Rico. The EPA banned the chemical for residential use in 1984, primarily for health concerns.

Nancy Feliciano, agriculture department spokeswoman, said Puerto Rico officials would comment soon.

The chemical sickened a family of four from Wilmington, Delaware, last month in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Two teenage boys went into comas after being exposed at the Sirenusa Condominium Resort in Cruz Bay, St. John.

The Esmond family was staying in the second floor of a unit whose first floor was sprayed with the pesticide to eradicate an indoor beetle that eats wood, officials have said.

Steve Esmond and his wife, Dr Theresa Devine, and their two teenage sons fell seriously ill during their stay.

They began having seizures and were airlifted to separate hospitals in Philadelphia suffering major respiratory trauma. Sean, 16, and Ryan, 14, were in critical condition.

Family attorney and spokesman James Maron did not respond to messages for comment.

He said in a statement last week that the boys remained in critical condition while their mother had been discharged and their father was recuperating.

EPA regional administrator Judith Enck said the agency and Puerto Rico's (pictured) Department of Agriculture are investigating where and when the pesticide was used and how much was applied

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released information on the illegal use of methyl bromide after conducting a federal investigation

The EPA has said a certified applicator working for Tennessee-based Terminix used the pesticide at the Virgin Islands resort.

Sea Glass Vacations LLC, which rents units at Sirenusa, terminated its contract with Terminix last week. Terminix has said it is conducting its own investigation and is cooperating with the EPA.

The U.S. Justice Department also is investigating.

EPA officials said Thursday the pesticide used in the Virgin Islands came from licensed distributors in Puerto Rico, where inspectors are visiting pesticide applicator companies, including Terminix.

'This has been prohibited since the 1980s,' Enck said. 'There should be no confusion.'

Methyl Bromide, which is odorless, can be fatal or cause serious damage to the central nervous system and respiratory system, according to the EPA.

It is acutely toxic, and only permitted to be used outdoors by certified professionals in the US.

The family was staying at the $875-a-night Sirenusa Condominium Resort on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands when they fell ill

Methyl bromide, which was banned in the 1980s, was sprayed on the first floor of the resort the family was staying in to eradicate an indoor beetle that eats wood, officials have said