Salton Sea policy-making excludes vulnerable Purépecha community members
Residing less than a mile from the Salton Sea, Purépecha farmworkers like [Meriguildo] Ortiz stand on the frontlines of one of the greatest environmental and health justice crises in the state. As the Salton Sea continues to evaporate, local residents report increasingly common cases of asthma, nose bleeds and allergies. The state has proposed solutions, such as the 10-year Salton Sea Management Program, but Purépecha community members who speak neither English nor Spanish, face limited internet access and lack high levels of education can rarely participate in decision-making.