Oral

The populations that live and work near the U.S./Mexico border must deal with environmental health issues that are shaped by their location in a border community. The proximity of the border requires that emergency responders in nearby cities develop coordinated programs to respond to and train for emergencies involving hazardous substances. Large numbers of people live in colonias, unincorporated rural communities characterized by lack of basic necessities such as potable water, sewer and drainage systems, and sanitary housing. Finally, tribal communities along the border are vulnerable to environmental hazards and exposure to toxicants. In this session, presenters will document elevated exposures to toxic substances in homes, and in soil, water and air experienced within communities located along the U.S./Mexico border, and air pollutants in vehicles during daily commutes across the border. In addition, two programs will be described involving collaborative efforts to conduct emergency response training for chemical emergencies and provide culturally appropriate information in an Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project. Together, these presentations will provide attendees with an understanding of the unique health challenges faced by border communities and successful aspects of interventions designed by environmental health professionals to address them.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify important environmental health issues in communities along the U.S. – Mexico border. 2. Discuss the cultural and regional appropriateness of utilizing promotoras/community health workers to improve the built environment. 3. Discuss the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration for understanding and effectively addressing Tribal health issues. 4. Understand the need for a binational emergency response training program between San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico and describe some of the challenges confronted during its implementation.