Unveiled - Humboldt Magazine - Humboldt State University

surprised,” Martinez says. “We’d trained them and given them
the maps. It’s making them more motivated and empowered.”
Meetings with local commissioners, county supervisors and
ranchers followed. Officials decided to notify those within a
quarter-mile of pesticide application – an option they can exercise
at their discretion but which is not required. “Now, when
they are going to be spraying, they [county representatives]
knock on their door and tell them,” Martinez says.
The project has fostered activism among all ages and
genders in the affected communities. “Our group in Orosi
is mostly women, and in Lindsey it’s mostly men and their
fathers,” Martinez said. Youth are becoming involved, adding
energy and innovation. One teen discovered a novel way
to spread awareness: La lotería de los pesticidas. Based on a
traditional Mexican bingo game, La lotería includes 54 cards
that teach pesticide safety.
The game was a hit. “It was really amazing that it came
from one of the teenagers,” Martinez says.
Aftermath and action
THE STEINBERGS’ STUDY IS not destined to gather dust on a
shelf, and the maps were not its only artifacts. A bilingual website,
peopleplaceandhealth.org, offers the fruits of the project,
including the maps, the final report, a booklet, testimony from
interviewees and posters designed to raise awareness – all still
in use by those at ground zero in pesticide country.
While much remains to be done, Martinez credits Steve and
Sheila Steinberg with getting the ball rolling. “Without their
work, I don’t see how this would have been possible,” she says.
The study provides an informed basis for more investigation
into health effects of pesticide exposure, as well as
legislation to create buffer zones around sensitive sites. Reforms
could include better advance warning before pesticide
application; creation of a database for pesticide information;
establishment of buffer zones around sensitive sites; and
more research into wind drift.
Efforts are already underway
“THEY’RE VERY SMART, THE community organizers,” Sheila
said. “They’re trying to work with the owners of the farmland
to come up with a solution that’s viable for both groups. They’re
trying to work together.” She says she’s proud to have laid the
groundwork for further studies as well as political action.
Steve concurs. “For Sheila and me, that’s the main
motivator – real-world research that’s not ‘ivory tower.’”
A bilingual website offers maps, testimony from
interviewees, awareness posters, a booklet and
the full report: peopleplaceandhealth.org
“A map really is worth a thousand words.”
– Sheila Steinberg
Total Pounds of Active
Ingredients Applied
Per Square MIle
0
1 – 5,000
5,001 – 15,000
15,001 – 35,000
35,001 – 60,000
60,000 – 143,288
Schools
Local Roads
US Route
IMAGE COURTESY OF STEVE STEINBERG
This map shows reported pesticide use in areas surrounding Salinas, Calif., schools. On seeing the graphic depiction of the toxins billowing around
them, parent groups and school districts have been electrified.
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