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What a NWHF Small Grant Can Do - To Educate Oregonians about Toxics

By: NWHF Staff | Posted on: November 1st, 2011 | Share:
Categories: Environmental Health • Disparities • Grantee Reports • Public Health

The following is a report from Lisa Arkin, Executive Director, Oregon Toxics Alliance, about a small community engagement grant received in 2011:

Oregon Toxics Alliance, based in Eugene, is educating thousands of Oregonians by way of a film & community forum series, Living Downstream–Conversations on the Science of Pollution and Health.  The topic of these conversations is about the vital link between the health of our bodies and the health of our air, land and water.  Our goal is to raise awareness, stimulate conversations, and move Oregonians to action to support toxics use reduction policies.  This project highlights the film by biologist and author Sandra Steingraber, and engages people in civic engagement around environmental health priorities. 

We showed the film in many small communities – from Selma in Josephine County to Deadwood in Oregon’s West Coast Range.  Reaching over 600 people, a number of folks were inspried to share their personal narrative of an unwanted chemical exposure.  We launched a new website, http://www.SafePublicPlaces, to create a central place to learn and get involved in environmental health projects that focus on pesticide reduction. Take a look; you can read some selected narratives.

Sparking conversations on science, we published our report Assessing Environmental Impact Quotients for Pesticide Use on State Highways in Lane County. This quantitative analysis of the ubiquitous use of pesticides on state highways was inspired by the frequent complaints we receive about ODOT’s policy.  A growing number of rural communities are taking action to manage their local highways pesticide free!  There are wonderful examples in Lane, Lincoln and Josephine counties. Neighborhoods are also taking action by working with OTA to issue photographic essays and put pressure on municipalities to eschew pesticide use in public places – for example, three neighborhood organizations joined together to complain about overuses of pesticides on public golf courses that in Eugene.  Our research is being used to support a safer local and state chemical policy, one that is truly based on environmental justice and health.

Next steps in the project will bring us back before the Oregon Transportation Commission in early 2012 to discuss the recommendations in our aforementioned report.  ODOT Director Garrett is suggesting that the OTC hold a Pesticide Workshop to explore the issue and the alternatives, and evaluate ODOT’s progress to reduce pesticide loading in the environment. We are also working with state legislators to bring the issue before the appropriate committees in order to schedule work sessions. 

Our grassroots organizing continues apace, including the broadening our coalition of organic growers and distributors and strengthening the highly effective Oregon Pesticide Action Workgroup (OPAWG).  OPAWG meets monthly to discuss the science of pesticide reduction and take action on the most pressing issues.  You can attend meetings in our office or by teleconference – for more information, get in touch with me.  OPAWG promotes many projects including local efforts like Williams Mow Day and the Triangle Lake No Spray Work Party.  Our next big event is planned for 2013, when we will host the Oregon Hearings on Pesticide Exposure (O-HOPE), the first event of its kind in North America. The objective of O-HOPE is to provide a forum for sharing pesticide exposure narratives, report on the enormity of the problem, and to provide solutions and alternatives to decision-makers with the goal of enacting lasting policy change.

Please contact us if you would like to partner to bring your community together through film showings and community forums in your town.