Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116768

Sylvia Ledesma, Kalpulli Izkalli, 1028 Apt. C Anne Avenue, SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105, 505.804.4602, izkalli@comcast.net

The South Valley is a socio-economically disadvantaged and predominantly minority community that is medically underserved. It is located directly south of Albuquerque's central business district and is one of the oldest areas of the region. The South Valley has a very rich agricultural history and strives to maintain its rural character.

The South Valley is the site of 32 of the New Mexico's 35 EPA regulated facilities, contains all of the County's landfills, the County's only waste water treatment plant only Brownfield site.

Moreover, due to the proximity to the largest urban area of the state, the South Valley growth is expected to rise 75% over the next few years.

This presentation will highlight the South Valley Clean Environment Campaign (SVCEC), a community collaborative action initiative that builds community capacity to address environmental health risks and environmental justice issues in the community. Through grassroots organizing and collaborative work with the Bernalillo County Health Department, University of New Mexico and land use planning partners, the campaign is working to address the disproportionate impacts of economic and environmental health risk due to unequal treatment in land use and zoning decision-making processes. The SVCEC seeks to empower the community to participate in decisions regarding the uncontrolled growth and development and the impacts on the cultural integrity and health of the community.

Learning Objectives:

• To present a case study of a community-led initiative to identify environmental health issues and engage in health and land use policy efforts.
• To provide at least two examples of strategies used by Kalpulli Izkalli and other coalition partners to utilize legal and public health science to support organizing efforts that preserve the South Valley.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation