E.P.A. Now Offers Toll-free

PHILADELPHIA (June 17, 2010) - The E.P.A. has added a new feature for Spanish-speaking citizens: a toll-free hotline where you can get questions answered about pesticides.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34.5 million people speak Spanish in the United States. Of that number, 57 percent of people aged 41 to 64 need assistance when speaking English.

"Many people have asked E.P.A. to provide a Spanish language hotline for pesticide questions and E.P.A. has responded," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin "There is definitely a need for this service and it's another opportunity for E.P.A. to provide needed environmental information to all communities."

The toll-free number is staffed from eight a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Messages in English and Spanish will instruct callers to leave a voice-mail message for after- hours calls or when bilingual staff are not immediately available. The Hotline Number is 1-888-919-4372.

Although pesticides help to keep our home environment clean and free from pests, they can also be dangerous if they are not used and stored properly and kept out of the reach of children. We are told to read the label and that the label will tell us exactly how to handle a pesticide product safely. But most labels are written in English and that does not help someone who speaks only Spanish or needs some help with reading and understanding English.

For more information on pesticides and other environmental topics in Spanish, go to: http://www.epa.gov/espanol/

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