Washington
LULAC travels to DC to advocate for environmental protections
Members of one of many greatest and most essential Hispanic teams in the neighborhood and throughout the nation visited Washington, D.C. final week in efforts to advocate for the atmosphere.
Raul Reyes — Webb Co. treasurer and League of United Latin American Residents Council #22387 president — spearheaded the efforts taken to Washington. He stated LULAC met with numerous public officers on the capital from the highest environmental company to representatives of President Biden’s Administration.
“In D.C., we joined with clear air advocates from throughout the nation to push our elected officers and the Biden administration for the strongest doable protections from soot, or particulate matter, air pollution,” Reyes stated. “We all know that Latino communities usually tend to be uncovered to soot air pollution and our group has larger than common charges of bronchial asthma. We’re (additionally) much less more likely to have entry to satisfactory medical care – so the cumulative impacts on Latinos are enormous, and we needed to verify our leaders in D.C. knew that our communities in Laredo need and demand clear air.”
In the course of the conferences, Reyes states that his LULAC chapter met with the Environmental Safety Company, representatives from the White Home and with the workplace of Rep. Henry Cuellar.
“Our assembly with EPA was joined by the director of EPA’s Workplace of Environmental Justice Matthew Tejada,” Reyes stated. “He comes out of Texas and understands our points, so it was good to fulfill with him and his colleagues to speak concerning the ongoing environmental justice points taking place in Laredo and Texas, and the way we’d like the federal authorities to guard us when our state and native governments fall quick.”
Total, the native LULAC president stated he feels that his group ensured that the voices of Laredo communities have been heard and on the desk.
“We did our greatest to signify everybody again dwelling who desires clear air, water and soil however can’t simply journey to D.C.,” Reyes stated. “We additionally created and strengthened partnerships with different teams from Texas and throughout the nation who work on these points. We’re on this for the lengthy haul, and so it’s essential that our teams in Laredo are related to different networks and advocates.”
Reyes states that one other essential a part of their mission to the nation’s capital was to remind leaders in Washington that regardless of the present politics in Texas, there are a lot of many individuals “on the market who need higher than what we’re at the moment getting” from their state leaders.
The native LULAC president stated he’s happy with the truth that they have been in a position to advocate and current their numerous matters associated to environmental justice points. He states that as local weather change accelerates and air pollution worsens in lots of Latino communities, will probably be extra essential than ever that his group and others proceed main on these essential public well being protections.
“We wish and deserve clear air, and we made certain that decision-makers in D.C. know communities are doing this work on the bottom in Laredo,” he added.
Because the representatives of the LULAC Council #22387 returned to town, Reyes stated their work is not going to stall or finish with what they did on the capital. As a substitute, they may proceed working to verify the problems they take care of and advocate grow to be a actuality.
“In LULAC we’re rooted in service, advocacy and motion, so we’re going to proceed our advocacy work and work alongside present native organizations who’re already making a distinction domestically,” Reyes stated. “We are going to have interaction in our efforts to advertise the significance of local weather change and search environmental justice in addition to assist higher inform our group of ever-changing info that’s vitally essential.”
jorge.vela@lmtonline.com