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In the Shadow of San Diego
The Progressive Magazine, September 2011
Maria Martinez and her husband and three sons live in a colorful stucco home in a subsidized housing development called the Mercado a few blocks from San Diego Bay. Martinez works as a "promotora," one of the grassroots health promoters that many Latin American families depend on for advice. Her home exudes health and cheer: a bowl piled with fruit sits on the bright tablecloth, parakeets chatter from sparkling clean cages, the sea breeze blows through gauzy curtains on open windows.
But as much as she strives for a healthy ambience in her home, as soon as she steps outside Martinez and her neighbors are confronted with an onslaught of environmental health hazards.
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Toxins troubling in fish caught in local waters
San Diego Union-Tribune, August 14, 2011
The largest-ever study of toxins in California sport fish shows concerning levels of PCBs and methylmercury at several spots along the San Diego County coastline and elsewhere, the legacy of industrial activity that continues to haunt state waters.
About three-fourths of the 42 spots sampled in California had what state officials called "moderate" degrees of pollution from the two most problematic contaminants, but concentrations at several sites spiked high enough to trigger "no consumption" warnings if more sampling confirms dangerous amounts of the contaminants.
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Maquiladora Factories Manufacture Toxic Pollutants
Inter Press Service, August 23, 2011
Since the 1960s, maquiladoras or export assembly plants have been the cornerstone of Mexico's strategy to attract foreign direct investment and boost exports. But the environmental and social costs have been high.
Maquiladoras, which in Mexico mainly produce clothing, cars and electronic equipment, consume huge volumes of water, generate hazardous waste products like alcohols, benzene, acetone, acids and plastic and metal debris, and emit polluting gases. The plants, which take advantage of Mexico's low wages, tax exemptions, and flexible labour laws while in return providing jobs, cause significant environmental damages. "Government oversight is poor. There aren't enough inspectors. There is no obligatory inspection scheme, only a voluntary one, and inspections are arranged in advance, with no surprise visits," Magdalena Cerda, the Tijuana representative for the Environmental Health Coalition, told IPS. "We have seen gradual deterioration in the urban communities where the factories are located." Download the Full Article
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