Heavy fertilizer use in the Salinas Valley pollutes water with nitrates. Experts are pushing for limits, but regulation has stalled, leaving 14,000 people exposed to health risks.
Community & Public Health
Farmworker communities in the Salinas Valley face a host of health risks from nitrate-polluted wells in the region.
Two recent high school grads share their stressful high school experiences.
Hepatitis B cases and deaths declined since 2021, but rates remain above national average. Advocates are urging routine screening, vaccination and annual reporting.
The California community of Patterson stopped efforts to address a drinking water contaminant not because it was no longer an issue but because the city couldn’t afford remediation. Now residents say needs to do more to address their growing concerns.
The government’s recent crackdown on immigrants is also worsening health outcomes within the community.
People walking and biking on Watsonville streets die at a rate 70% higher than the county average, according to a Santa Cruz Local analysis.
Plans include road diets, lower speed limits, rerouting highways, and adding engineers to improve safety.
The Health Divide: Measles cases have hit a three-decade high, and not everyone is equally protected
Measles cases are at their highest numbers in decades amid declining vaccinations, persistent disparities and vaccine misinformation, leaving millions of children vulnerable.