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Ezequiel Martinez

Ms. Briones

ENGL-1301-123

September 13, 2023

Laredo Community’s Issues

I (No first person, must be in third person, use they, they’re etc.) wonder if the

Laredo community has issues. If so, what are the issues? Do those are a big deal? I am quite

surprised that I learned the Laredo community has issues. Those are about issues (Use instead,

The issue of: ) of pollution, water supply crisis, medically underserved regions, and drug

trafficking. (you can add how it severely affects our community, or start a “introduction” to your

next paragraph)

Let's explain what each issue is and how the issue affects it. (Add what is

affected, ex. Laredo or community) The issue of pollution is caused by an industrial facility,

Midwest Sterilization Corporation, that emits ethylene oxide. What is ethylene oxide (?), and

why is it used? Ethylene oxide is a gas and is effective in killing harmful microorganisms that

can cause infection. How does it affect Laredo? According to a recent investigation by

ProPublica and Texas Tribune, “a plant in Laredo that sterilizes medical equipment has been

found to be spewing cancer-causing pollution on schoolchildren.”, From 2014 to 2018, that made

the estimated lifetime cancer risk (greater) for almost 130,000 Laredoans, including more than

37 thousand children. This is quite serious. We are anxious about that. Plus, I am glad about the

Laredo City Council and Webb County Commissioners Court support. They bought (City

Council has purchased) equipment, and air monitoring (for) five (local) schools that are nearest
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to the plant, and hired a full-time technician to oversee a new air monitoring program. According

to a recent article from The Texas Tribune, “Laredo is currently dealing with a water supply

crisis due to drought and low reservoir levels.” Once again, that is the issue of the water supply

crisis. When severe drought persists, Laredo will run out of water next season. 30% of Laredo’s

pipes are more than 40 years old. “We have grown so fast we didn't have the funding to replace

the old pipes,” said Riazul Mia, assistant city manager of Laredo and former utilities director.

Plus, some residents were unable to get water because it did not guarantee the water’s safety in

September 2019. Governments seek emergency state funds, and they create Laredo’s 50-year

plan for needing more water supply. However, all water budgets are slated for system repair to

improve infrastructure. I wonder how long Laredo is alive. That makes me worried. According to

Laredo Morning Time,” Laredo has been deemed medically underserved for decades.” The

Laredo population is 95.4% Hispanic, and they have been more susceptible to the virus’ serious

effects. The Laredo hospital can’t handle too many uninsured people. “The issue in Laredo, and

elsewhere, is not a lack of physical beds and hospital rooms,” DO Family Medicine Resident

Physician Dr. Tyler King said. “The issue is a lack of nursing and auxiliary staff to properly and

safely treat our patients.” I wonder why Hispanics go there. I don't know what they do. For

example, they are there in Laredo to explore the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum, the history

of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande. According to a recent article from The Texas

Tribune,” Laredo has been dealing with drug trafficking issues for years due to its location in the

U.S.-Mexico border.” That is about drug trafficking in Laredo. Laredo has been responsible for

violence and crime by drug trafficking organizations. Those impact the quality of life for many

residents.
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I researched four issues about what an issue is and how it affects Laredo. I put my

little opinion with a view. I notice Laredo City Council and Webb Country save us from issues,

but it is not enough to solve. I think we should support and try to know how to solve issues

together. We make sure to progress toward a smooth step and a better place in the future. We can

do it.

Finally, we can see the conclusion of the research. We learned about issues;

pollution, water supply crisis, medically underserved regions, and drug trafficking. That’s quite

crazy and hard to solve “decade” issues in Laredo. We should pray to be able to find solutions as

possible. Also, I wonder how we are alive with decade-old issues such as ancient and powerful

viruses. Anyway, that is all we want to know about issues from the Laredo community. Plus, my

favorite quote is “Let it be known that Laredo can’t be a sacrifice zone to serve the rest of the

country” (one resident said about the issue of pollution).

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Works Cited

How a Laredo plant spews pollution on Texas schoolchildren | The Texas Tribune

Laredo confronts drought and water shortage with minimal options | The Texas Tribune

Statement on concerns with medical device availability due to certain sterilization facility closures | FDA

Why is Laredo a medically underserved region? (lmtonline.com)

5th and Final Man Admits Role in Laredo Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy (dea.gov)