Listen to today’s press call here.
Washington, D.C. — The consequences of dramatically curtailing the role of the Environmental Protection Agency, as many in Congress have proposed, are clear: Highly polluting industries will have more leeway to contaminate our environment; Americans will be at greater risks of contracting chronic illnesses; and 40 years of progress in the health and environmental outcomes achieved by the EPA will be reversed. But what few people talk about is how the EPA benefits Latinos and how they would be impacted if they lose the protections provided by the agency.
Latinos tend to live and work near farmlands, factories, and power plants that produce high levels of pollution. As a result they have a higher risk of suffering from asthma, lung cancer, and allergies among other chronic, often fatal diseases. Worst of all, Latinos are less likely to be insured than other ethnic groups in this country. A new report to be released by the Center for American Progress studies how standards set by the EPA have protected millions of Latinos from diseases from pollution and how our most vulnerable citizens, children, and seniors are at higher risks of suffering chronic ailments.
What: Press call to discuss the impact of defunding the EPA on Latino communities in the United States
Who:
- Dr. Evelyn Montalvo, from "Respira" (Spanish for "breath"); pediatric lung specialist at The University Hospital and New Jersey Medical School.
- Adrianna Quintero, Director, La Onda Verde, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Jorge Madrid, Research Associate, Center for American Progress
- Vanessa Cardenas, Director of Progress 2050, Center for American Progress
When: Wednesday, March 23, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. EST
RSVP
Please contact Raúl Arce-Contreras at [email protected] or 202.478.5318
**Please note, this call will be recorded. By participating in the call, you consent to be recorded.**