EPA REACHING OUT TO HISPANIC COMMUNITY

By Ella Tyler

EPA Region 6 held a forum, “Beyond Translation,” in San Antonio on Oct 18. The meeting was planned to increase dialogue with the Hispanic community about challenges and opportunities facing the community and to elicit ideas for improving EPA’s service to Hispanic Americans, according to Paula Flores-Gregg, who organized the meeting. About one hundred Hispanic leaders from nonprofit organizations, local governments, and civic groups attended the event.

The morning sessions focused on groups that are working to improve community health, particularly children’s health. Among the issues of concern are childhood asthma, lead poisoning, and poor air quality. Methods of providing sanitary water to communities along the border were also discussed.

During the afternoon sessions, EPA staff listened to concerns from the workshop attendees. Miguel Flores, director of the Region 6 water quality division, said, “We heard a lot of requests for us to look at cumulative exposure to pollutants and effects of low levels of pollutants, particularly for children. Another theme was that data is never translated into terms lay people can understand so they can make their own assessments about risks.”

Flores said that community leaders told the EPA they were the experts in community problems, and the EPA could be most useful in a support role.

Another goal of the conference was to get more Hispanic youth into the educational pipeline to prepare for jobs at the agency and in the field of environmental management.

A children’s video “Chucho Salva el Dia” (Chucho saves the day) was featured at the conference. In this short Spanish-language movie, a dog Chucho and his owner plan to go fishing to enjoy a beautiful day – only to discover their fishing spot has been polluted. They spend the afternoon investigating ways daily activities can cause pollution and learning about steps they can take to protect water quality. The film made its debut at a San Antonio junior high.

Flores said the agency is already planning the next forum. More information about “Chucho Salva el Dia” is available at the EPA’s website.