Uncovering the Hidden Health Risks in Cloverleaf: A Bilingual Investigation into Air Quality in Texas

The community of Cloverleaf, located along the Houston Ship Channel in Texas, is facing significant health risks due to poor air quality caused by emissions from over 200 petrochemical facilities in the area. A recent investigation by Altavoz Lab, EHN, palabra, and The Texas Tribune shed light on the challenges faced by this predominantly Latino community in understanding and addressing these environmental hazards.

Reporters Alejandra Martinez and Wendy Selene Pérez spent months in Cloverleaf, uncovering the shortcomings of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s air monitoring system. The system fails to measure certain dangerous pollutants from nearby petrochemical plants and provides air quality information in formats that are difficult to comprehend, especially for non-English speakers. This information gap leaves communities like Cloverleaf in the dark about the safety of their air.

In response to these findings, the reporters engaged in extensive outreach efforts to ensure that the affected residents could access and understand the information presented in the investigation. They distributed bilingual postcards explaining the health risks and ways to protect oneself, held community workshops, and collaborated with local news outlets like Univisión and La Esquina Texas to amplify the story’s reach.

The collaboration between Altavoz Lab and Environmental Health News has been praised for its innovative approach to community engagement and impactful journalism. By working closely with local journalists and organizations, the project was able to maximize its reach and effectiveness in raising awareness about environmental issues in vulnerable communities.

The Altavoz Lab story is available in both English and Spanish, allowing a wider audience to access and engage with the important findings. This comprehensive and inclusive approach to reporting serves as a model for future collaborations between news organizations and local communities.

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