Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border

Denise Moreno Ramírez, Mónica D. Ramírez-Andreotta, Lourdes Vea, Rocío Estrella-Sánchez, Ann Marie A. Wolf, Aminata Kilungo, Anna H. Spitz and Eric A. Betterton
Additional contact information
Denise Moreno Ramírez: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Mónica D. Ramírez-Andreotta: Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1177 East 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Lourdes Vea: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA
Rocío Estrella-Sánchez: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Ann Marie A. Wolf: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA
Aminata Kilungo: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA
Anna H. Spitz: Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Eric A. Betterton: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered “hard-to-reach” by government-led programs.

Keywords: pollution prevention; promotoras; small businesses; minority; home-based businesses; peer education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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