PHILADELPHIA   – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 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 EPA to provide a Spanish language hotline for pesticide  questions and EPA has responded,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “There is definitely a need for this service and it’s another opportunity for EPA to provide needed environmental information to all communities.”
 
The toll-free number is staffed from 8 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 888/919-4372.                               
 
For more information on pesticides and other environmental topics in Spanish, visit www.epa.gov/espanol/.