I'm on my way to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to continue work on one of the most interesting and rewarding projects of my environmental career. Casa de Salud, or "Health House," is an outreach and education effort to engage residents of this mostly Latino community in addressing environmental issues that affect their health. This program has critical implications, as Lawrence has the highest lead poisoning and pediatric asthma rates in Massachusetts. The oldest planned industrial city in the U.S., Lawrence was once a thriving community. Here, water diverted from the Merrimack River powered textile mills during the Industrial Revolution. After decades of mill closures and economic downturn, this is one of the 25 poorest cities in the U.S., with a per capita income of less than $10,000.

Auto Body Shop Educator Claudio Troncoso and Gretchen Latowsky observing protective equipment used to protect workers from workplace hazards

Until Casa de Salud, the Latino community—nearly 70% of Lawrence's 70,000 residents—was largely un represented in efforts to address the city's environmental health problems. To help remedy this discrepancy, JSI works with community partners the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Family Service, Inc., and the Lawrence Teen Coalition in an EPA-funded environmental justice project to engage Latino residents in understanding, identifying, and addressing health impacts of their toxic environment. The project employs ten Latino residents, including two teenagers, as neighborhood environmental health educators

My first stop today is an abandoned mill building. Casa Leader Maria Alavarse and I inspect the site, noting areas of degradation and contamination that pose a risk to neighbors, particularly children who play nearby. This project could not function without the Casa Leaders. As Spanish-speaking residents of the Latino community, their involvement makes our project an exciting mutual education process. The Casa Leaders help us to identify health risks we otherwise would not have discovered. For example, some Latinos burn mercury in candles in a ritual practice to ward off evil spirits. Mercury may also be sprinkled around a child's crib or in a car for protection. Mercury exposure causes neurological damage and can lead to developmental disabilities in children; it is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and infants.

Casa Community Coordinator Doris Anziani takes me to a botanica that sells mercury for ritual purposes. The Casa Leaders are conducting a survey of residents to learn who uses mercury for ritual purposes and why. After that information is gathered, we will develop a program to educate the Latino community about the health threats associated with mercury use.

My final stop is an auto body shop. Through our Casa Leaders, we have learned of more than 130 auto body shops owned by Spanish-speaking people that are located near residential housing. Many of these shops are not in compliance with environmental regulations and emit noxious odors in the neighborhoods. Today Claudio Troncoso, our Auto Body Shop Educator, and I show one shop owner how to use personal protective equipment.

In the many years I have worked in Lawrence, I have seen residents develop a growing awareness of environmental health issues, which leads them to take action. I think that all of us who work on the project are propelled forward by the energy generated by this community's empowerment

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