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U.S. EPA Honors Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative for Outstanding Achievements in Environmental Protection

Release Date: 05/26/2009
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815

For Immediate Release: May 26, 2009
Contact: Francisco Arcaute

(213) 244-1815, cell (213) 798-1404
[email protected]

LOS ANGELES – In recognition of their efforts to address fish contamination issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored the Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative Community Outreach Team with the agency’s 2009 Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement Award.

The Palos Verdes Shelf site is a large area of DDT- and PCB-contaminated sediment located in the ocean off the coast of the Palos Verdes peninsula near Los Angeles, Calif. The offshore site stretches from Point Fermin in the southeast to Palos Verdes Point in the northwest, a distance of about 9 miles.

At a Washington, DC, ceremony, Acting Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Barry Breen presented the award to Ms.Yolanda Lasmarias, Dr. Howard Wang, Ms. Hee Joo Yoon, Heal the Bay, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, St. Anselm’s Cross Cultural Community Center in Garden Grove, and Boat People SOS – Orange County. Representatives from the Community Outreach Team also shared their experiences with the environmental policy staff at the White House on their trip to the nation’s capital.

“The EPA commends the Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative for its commitment and dedication to communities at great risk – especially non-English speaking communities - affected by the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site located off the coast of Los Angeles,” said Breen. “The EPA’s Citizen Excellence in Community Involvement Award recognizes individuals and the community groups working collaboratively with the Agency to address environmental issues.”

At the Palos Verdes Shelf, large deposits of DDT and PCBs sit in the sediments deep underwater. The chemicals came from area industries, including a large DDT manufacturing facility which closed in 1982. The Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative identified “at risk” communities, including local fishermen, and the Vietnamese and Chinese communities and educated them on the dangers of consuming contaminated fish, as well as ways to protect their health. The outreach focuses on not only getting the word out but also evaluating how people are using the information to protect their health.

The Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative also developed the Community Resource Council to provide recommendations and created the www.pvsfish.org website to engage the community and host a wealth of outreach and educational materials.

For more information, please visit: www.pvsfish.org, http://www.montroserestoration.gov/, or https://www.epa.gov/region09/features/pvshelf/index.html