Lower Duwamish Waterway Site
Seattle, Washington
I. I 'I II Ir I
September 2002
Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington State Department of Ecology
(Ecology) recognize the need to communicate with all sectors of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Site
community to provide meaningful information and opportunities for genuine public participation.
This document supplements the Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan.
The Lower Duwamish Waterway community includes at least 21 races. According to the 2000
census data, South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods located close to the Lower Duwamish
Waterway have a combined Hispanic population of 32 percent. The objective of this document is
to provide information about the Hispanic sector of the Duwamish community and suggest the
most suitable way to satisfy its information needs and include the group in the decision-making
process of Ecology and EPA. In the future, EPA and Ecology will also assess the need to provide
special services to more groups.
EPA has conducted interviews, participated in focus groups, and attended the South Park Neighbor-
hood Association's first meeting organized for the Hispanic community. At those meetings, EPA
described the Duwamish Waterway as a Superfund site, contaminants of concern, location of the
site, and future opportunities for public participation. Members of the community shared a wealth
of information about their local issues and preferred methods of communication.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
Demographic profile
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the popula-
tion of the Duwamish community is 42,700.
The Public Health Division of Seattle and King
County selected nine small statistical subdivi-
sions of the City of Seattle to define the Lower
Duwamish Waterway community. Those nine
subdivisions fall within the following neighbor-
hoods: Parkland, Lower Beacon Hill, Lower
White Center, Georgetown and South Park.
Seattle's Hispanic community has grown rapidly
as farm mechanization eliminated many farm-
ing jobs and people moved from farm regions
to Puget Sound cities. Approximately 10.6
percent of the Lower Duwamish Waterway
population is Hispanic, with the majority being
Mexican or of Mexican descent.
South Park/Georgetown
South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods are
close to the Lower Duwamish Waterway and
have the highest Hispanic population in the
area. According to census data evaluated by
Seattle and King County Public Health (May,
2001), South Park and Georgetown have a
combined population of about 4,900 people, 32
percent of which is Hispanic.
While 12.3 percent of the households in South
Park and Georgetown speak Spanish at home,
only 3.2 percent speak only Spanish. Twenty-
four percent generate annual incomes below
the federal poverty level, 35.1 percent of the
population is under 17 years of age, and 39.1
percent of the households have a single parent
as the head of the household.
Total
Population
Percent
Hispanics
Duwamish
Area
42,700
10.6%
Georgetown/
South Park
4,900
32%
September 2002
Other Population Groups
The Lower Duwamish Waterway community
includes at least 21 races. Some 8.8 percent of
the households in South Park and Georgetown
are linguistically isolated; 63.6 percent of those
households speak Tagalog, Chinese, Mon-Khmer,
Japanese or Vietnamese, among other languages.
EPA and Ecology also will assess the need to
provide special services to these groups.
Interviews
EPA, Ecology, and the Washington State Depart-
ment of Health (DOH) interviewed five profes-
sionals and educated members of the Hispanic
community to identify representative concerns
and suggestions for sharing information with
the community. People were interviewed
individually, in person, or by telephone.
Issues of concern raised
during Interviews
• Lack of information: Interviewees felt that
the community lacks information. One
individual did not know the site was contami-
nated until contacted by EPA for an interview.
All agree that the Hispanic community near
the Duwamish has not been given informa-
tion about the contamination and that the
community is unaware of the work EPA and
Ecology are doing. Some participants men-
tioned the lack of posters or public notice
posters or signs near the water to inform the
community that the water is not safe.
O Unknown risks: Those interviewed ex-
pressed concern that human health might be
at risk by drinking water. One person asked
if the water from the Lower Duwamish Wa-
terway is a supply of drinking water for the
City of Seattle.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
• Wildlife: A concern was expressed for ma-
rine animals, eagles and other birds, and
salmon.
• Businesses along the waterway: Three
interviewees consider it important that busi-
nesses not be shut down because of the loss
of jobs in the area; they suggested that
businesses be included in the cleanup pro-
cess. One person wanted reassurance that
polluting companies are participating in the
cleanup and will be taught how to operate
without contaminating the environment.
• Job Creation: One person mentioned the
need to consider creation of new jobs during
the cleanup.
• Suggested Communication Methods:
- Two people mentioned that e-mail is the
best way to communicate with them.
- Three people would like to receive monthly
or quarterly updates.
- All interviewees would like public meetings
to be held at restaurants, schools and other
familiar public spaces.
- Spanish-speaking radio is a very effective
avenue in communicating with the Hispanic
community because some members do not
read English or Spanish.
- One person pointed out that our first fact
sheet, translated from English, was ineffective
because it was too complicated. Interviewees
suggest that we make fact sheets visually
stimulating, with colors, graphics and simpli-
fied text.
- Interviewees asked us to place maps of the
site at schools, community colleges, churches
and other public spaces.
September 2002
- One-on-one conversations, presentations,
and booths at local events were suggested as
highly effective.
- Print media was suggested as a good
source of information for the more educated
sector of the community; if used, print media
always should include health-related informa-
tion to generate interest.
Focus Groups
With the help of Sea Mar Clinic, members of the
Hispanic community were invited to talk with
the Seattle-King County Department of Health
and EPA about the Lower Duwamish River
community health and safety issues. The Sea
Mar Clinic is a community health center dedi-
cated to the care of the medically under-served
Hispanic population of Seattle. Seventeen
members of the community participated (nine
women and eight men) in two focus group
sessions. Six of the women were mothers.
Almost all participants were born in Mexico
except for one woman who was Ecuadorian.
All participants spoke Spanish as their primary
language. Conversations were facilitated and
interpreted by Sea Mar staff.
Issues of Concern Raised in
Focus Group Sessions
• Housing: Almost all participants expressed
frustration in finding affordable, clean and
safe housing. Their biggest concerns are pest
control (rats and cockroaches), irregular or
poor maintenance of their apartments, and
lack of personal safety.
• Solid waste: Litter in streets and slow-de-
grading materials are not regularly picked up,
causing a health concern, as well as concern
about negative aesthetic impacts such as a
dirty appearance and bad smells.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement September 2002
& Industrial Waste: This was mentioned by
one participant, who demonstrated indigna-
tion and a sense of injustice resulting from a
perception that the government and commu-
nity as a whole allow companies to get away
with polluting.
• Uses of the River:
- None of the respondents indicated that
they swim, fish or eat fish from the
Duwamish River; however, during a health
fair at Concord Elementary School in which
the EPA participated, a mother of three
mentioned to an EPA representative that she
has taken her children tubing down the
Duwamish River twice.
- Half of the focus group participants have
gone near the water for passive recreation
(to feed the ducks, picnic and walk along the
edge of the river) and during these events
they have seen other people (possibly Asian/
Pacific islanders or Native Americans) fishing.
Meeting with South Park
Neighborhood Association
On September 20, 2001, EPA and DOH attended
the first meeting organized for the Hispanic
residents of South Park. The neighborhood
association is making efforts to break some of
the language barriers that prevent all residents
from participating at their meetings. To this
end, a subgroup was organized to discuss issues
in Spanish. This subgroup will have a spokes-
person representing them to the larger neigh-
borhood association group.
Issues of Concern Raised by
Members of the South Park
Neighborhood Association
• Lack of information: All participants were
surprised to hear for the first time that the
Duwamish Waterway is contaminated and
that it has been under investigation for more
than a year. Many questions were raised
about EPA and Ecology plans for cleanup,
including the costs associated with the
cleanup.
© Indignation and a sense of injustice: This
resulted from a perception that local officials
have known about the contamination and
not taken the necessary steps to warn the
residents about existing contamination.
None of the participants have seen posted
warning signs asking people not to swim, fish
or drink the water. The group would like to
see advisories posting any threats near the
water, and they would like to be involved in
the location selection for any notice.
• Children and youth: The community is
having a hard time finding positive things for
children to do in their spare time. They do
not have a library and a lot of businesses on
14th Street sell tobacco and liquor. Illegal
drug deals and prostitution are a constant
problem for this community. One member
was concerned that the few recreational
areas, the parks and beaches along the river,
will now be a health risk to young people
who gather there.
• Best place to meet: A Community Center
within the South Park neighborhood was
suggested because it is a central location for
residents from both sides of the bridge on 8th
Avenue, which apparently serves as a re-
minder of the divisions between two sectors
of South Park.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
• Best way to reach them:
- The neighborhood association has a news-
letter to which the EPA was invited to contrib-
ute with monthly updates.
- E-mails are the best way to share informa-
tion with the leaders of the association.
- To communicate with the community at
large, radio public service announcements
were suggested as a highly effective means
to get messages to this segment of the com-
munity. One of the leaders of the neighbor-
hood association suggested that it would be
best to meet with the host of a radio show, to
engage the community in the issue, and to
have the host talk about the cleanup project.
One participant used this technique to adver-
tise events organized by Sea Mar Clinics and
found the events to be well attended.
Information Needs
How to deal with "slum lords," safety concerns
and pest control.
Respondents overwhelmingly expressed interest
in, and a need for, more information on pest
control, proper handling of household wastes,
and addressing problems with irregular or no
maintenance of rental properties. Even
homeowners need the information for them-
selves as they acknowledge the severity of this
issue and know of people who deal with these
issues first hand.
September 2002
Outreach Strategy
Education Prior to Public Input
Outreach activities should focus on building en-
vironmental awareness by providing information
of interest to the public {e.g., handling household
hazards or pesticides) in order to build a relation-
ship and later encourage public participation. EPA
and Ecology will try to develop partnerships with
the Seattle-King County Health Department to
provide the information most needed by the com-
munity and at the same time educate them about
the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site.
The first step is to get the community engaged.
Involvement at Different Stages of the
Superfund Process
At different stages of the Superfund Process, EPA
and Ecology are required to conduct specific
outreach activities as outlined in the Lower
Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involve-
ment Plan. At this time, the project team is
working on a Remedial Investigation. During this
critical phase of the Superfund process, the site
team is gathering information to learn about
contamination at the site. In the fall of 2002,
EPA and Ecology expect to have identified risks
and priority areas for cleanup. As the informa-
tion becomes available, informal outreach will be
conducted. Public meetings can be organized
to share this information and prepare the
community for a comment period on the
Proposed Plan that will be published after the
Remedial Investigation is completed. Some of
the informal activities that can be conducted
before the Proposed Plan is ready include:
Fact Sheets and Other Mailers: EPA and Ecology
will prepare occasional mailers to update inter-
ested members of the community about cleanup
activities. Please contact Cindy Colgate Schuster
at (206) 553-1815 or schuster.cindv@epa.gov if
you would like to have your address added to or
deleted from the English- or Spanish-language
mailing list for the site.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
Publication Design:
Fact sheets and other outreach materials
created in English may be translated and
altered to meet the following criteria:
- simpler language and format
- strong headings (short, active voice, capture
the essence, solicit reaction)
- bullets or lists
- question and answer formats
- attractive and stimulating with multiple colors.
Spanish/English: It is important to point out
that not everyone in a Hispanic household with
a Spanish-dominant household head is neces-
sarily Spanish-language dominant; often the
children are English-dominant. Therefore,
bilingual information is most effective.
Face-to-face Communication
with the Community
• by attending meetings that are already
planned (as a guest speaker);
• holding a community meeting co-sponsored
by an existing organization or community
leader such as schools, religious groups,
grassroots organizations and clinics;
• co-sponsoring educational activities with the
Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (Commu-
nity Advisory Group) and South Park Neigh-
borhood Association.
September 2002
Potential Partners
El Centra de la Raza
2524 16th Avenue South
Seattle, Washington 98144
(206) 329-7960
This is a civil rights organization which operates
a grass-roots multiple-service agency. El Centro
de la Raza serves a special role in Seattle as a
moral and cultural center for Seattle's large His-
panic community, which is widely dispersed
throughout Seattle rather than being concentrated
in a barrio as is found in most other cities.
El Centra's International Relations Department
and Community Outreach raises money through
the sale of arts and crafts items from all of the
Americas and also builds people-to-people
relations through tours, speakers and work-
shops. Community University is offered free to
people and focuses on the teachings of Martin
Luther King.
Sea Mar Clinic
This medical organization has several facilities
within the Lower Duwamish project area. They
operate on a sliding scale and have bilingual
personnel. Services include a daycare center for
children, primary medical treatment, family
counseling and a senior center.
Concord Elementary School
At the school, students and the Parents Teachers
Association can be given different information
adapted to their level of education.
Crupo de Apoyo Para Madres Latinas
The Latino Mothers Support Group focuses on
educational and social events. The group is
sponsored by the Southwest Family Center and
Concord Elementary School. They meet
Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at Concord
Elementary School and during the summer at
Sea Mar facilities. The contact person is Jose
Martinez, (206) 937-7680.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
South Park Community Center
8319-8th Avenue South
Seattle, Washington 98108
(206) 684-7451
The center offers cultural education, athletic
programs, a career center and computer lab,
and free child care. Annual events include the
South Park Festival, Big Deal Day, Halloween
Carnival and Haunted House, Festival of Lights
and Day of the Dead Celebration.
Holy Family Church
9622-20th Avenue SW
Seattle, Washington 98106
(206) 767-6220
Spanish Mass Schedule: Saturday at 6:30 PM,
Sunday at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM,
Wednesday at 7 PM.
Venus Velazquez
(206)725-9810
Sends out newsletter with events.
Concilio for the Spanish Speaking
115 N 85th Street, Suite 200
Seattle, Washington 98103
(206) 706-7776
Concilio@nwlink.com
This group organizes the Latino Achievement
Education Project, which is committed to improv-
ing bilingual education in the state of Washing-
ton. They conduct a fund raiser during Fiestas
Patrias Celebration (September 16) at the Seattle
Center, and publish La Voz, a monthly newsletter.
Use of Media
EPA and Ecology may use bilingual radio and
newspapers to advertise the opening of com-
ment periods and availability of new fact sheets.
September 2002
Announcing Comment Periods
on the Radio
Radio is the most effective way to solicit public
participation from this community. EPA and
Ecology may send a short version (200 words
maximum) of the fact sheet announcing the
opening of comment periods in the form of a
press release/public service announcement
request to radio station KXPA-AM 1540.
Five of the people interviewed said the show
Radio Variedades, hosted by Mercedes Garcia, is
entertaining. This show airs from 12:00 to 2:45
PM daily and has a wide audience that listens
during lunch break.
KXPA-AM (1540)
114 Lakeside Ave.
Seattle, Washington 98122
Affiliate of Hispanic National Radio Network
Contact Person: Greg Magdonald
(206) 292-7800
Fax: (206) 292-2140
60-second spot time rates cost $40.00
30-second rate is 70% of a 60 second spot
suggested time: 9AM-3PM
Distributing Fact Sheets in
Local Newspapers
EPA and Ecology may send fact sheets by e-mail
and facsimile, both in English and Spanish, to
newspapers at least one week prior to the
desired date of publication. Fact sheets should
be condensed to 200 words or less. EPA and
Ecology also may buy advertisements or insert
fact sheets in newspapers distributed in Parkland,
Georgetown, Lower Beacon Hill, Lower White
Center and South Park neighborhoods.
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Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
El Mundo
Statewide, 17,000 copies of the El Mundo are
distributed every Thursday This bilingual
publication focuses on news from Latin America,
the United States and Washington State.
Cost of advertisement:
5.83" x 10" = $323
5.83" x 5" = $161
5.83" x 2.5"= $82
5,000 inserts or less = $180
Inserts must be provided by EPA and Ecology.
Any size up to 10" x 11", single or double-sided,
and printed on 24-pound paper (thicker than
common paper).
El Mundo Communications, Inc.
13635 NE 8th Street #104
Bellevue, Washington 98005
Carlos and Beatriz Rossetti
elmundo3accessone.com
Siete Dias
On the western side of Washington, from
Everett to Tacoma, 5,000 copies of Siete Dias are
distributed every Wednesday. This bilingual
newspaper focuses on advertising local busi-
nesses, with less attention to current news and
information.
Cost of advertisement:
5.83" x 10" = $270
5.83" x 5" = $200
5.83" x 2.5" = $80
Business card = $40
September 2002
Conclusion
EPA, Ecology and collaborating agencies need
to encourage public participation from the
Hispanic community in the Lower Duwamish
Waterway community. In order to conduct
successful outreach, efforts should take into
account linguistic isolation and socioeconomic
disadvantage. The first steps to promoting
participation are to increase awareness about
the cleanup project and to educate the commu-
nity about environmental issues in general.
Creating and nurturing working relationships
with leaders of the Hispanic community in the
area as well as the use of bilingual publications
to disseminate information will increase the
chances of public participation.
For More Information:
If you have any questions about the His-
panic Community Outreach Plan, please
contact Lilibeth Serrano at 1-800-424-4372
extension 1388 (Voice) or by e-mail at
Serrano-Velez.Lilibeth@epa.gov.
For people with disabilities: Please contact Lilibeth
Serrano if you have any special requests for reason-
able accommodations. For TTY users: please call
the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and
then give the operator Lilibeth'sphone number.
Please provide one week notice for special requests
not related to ongoing programs and services.
5,000 inserts or less = $200
Siete Dias
12005 NE 12th Street #26
Bellevue, Washington 98005
Raul Peres Calleja
raul@sietediasinc.com
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