Meet Yvette Arellano | Founder | Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvette Arellano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yvette, how do you think about risk?
Every day, community members face risks from toxics in the air to the potential of unexpected disasters in the form of flares, explosions, and leaks. The level of risk I have taken so far has varied, some risks layer on others. As a person of color who is non-binary in an alt-right-embracing state, Texas. As an advocate, I work toward elevating the understanding of what is happening on the fenceline during everyday conditions and emergency events. My team and I document chemical disasters amid toxic fumes and fires while also needing to know the long-term impact, but acknowledging there is an inherent risk. What I don’t accept is a trespass of unknown toxics, symptoms, and effects from nearby petrochemical facilities and refineries onto our bodies without our consent and their active advocacy against transparency under confidential business information or trade secrets. I accept the volatility I already face and will face from local, and state officials, industry groups, and everyday people who profit from the suffering in our communities.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I want the world to know that there is no one solo superhero, silver bullet and no secret to success. Speaking truth to power takes work. We are all part of the solution, and taking small or more significant steps to resist the abuses perpetrated on our bodies and communities is vital. Any abuse must be countered by collective resistance at all levels. Currently, we are supporting the USW Local 13-227 strike against the petrochemical facility, Ecoservices, an Ecovyst facility that makes virgin sulfuric acid for catalysts and feedstocks for plastic, among other products. Today is day 6 of the strike. The facility has had multiple OSHA violations and allegations of numerous hazardous releases into our air and bayou waters that local people fish in. When people inside are in appalling working conditions, you know you shouldn’t trust that the facility is operating safely. We must work in the spirit of cooperation and intersectionality by embracing innovative movement-building strategies. Mutual aid, petitioning, protesting, supporting strikes, boycotts, fighting permits, and sharing information are all forms of resistance. We urge people to become part of the groundswell for change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a first-generation Mexican American, I find so much warmth in weekend open markets. So if a friend is visiting Houston, I will take them to Sunny Flea Market, Tia Pancha, and the surrounding flea markers on Sunday. Visiting this hub of flea markets in Houston is a truly cross-cultural experience that is both charming and full of life. You can sip some Tepache, a fermented drink from pre-colonial Mexico, and have a pupusa with Loroco, an edible herb from Central America. If you are adventurous, try the blue tortilla Huitlacoche quesadilla, a corn fungus quesadilla with Aztec origins. Huitlacoche is the Nahuatl name for fungus. There is a multitude of specialty handmade items, clothing, ceremonial items, specialty foods, spices, and herbal remedy shops. The list is endless. Across the street, there is an all-day dance hall with live music. You can go alone, with friends or family.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dr. Riki Ott is a marine toxicologist and former commercial fisherma’m who experienced the trauma and devastation of the Exxon Valdez oil spill firsthand. Dr. Ott came to the Gulf Coast and co-created a tool on bioaccumulation and toxic exposure with community advocates. She also broke down citizens united, corporate personhood and the lack of regulation around oil and other pollutants. Her work is how I began to understand the multigenerational toxic exposure in our communities. I am thankful for the time and trust Dr. Ott poured into creating a better understanding with us. We have a human right to a clean environment and to defend ourselves against toxic trespassing on our bodies without our consent.

Website: www.fencelinewatch@gmail.com

Instagram: fenceline_watch

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FencelineWatch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fencelinewatch

Image Credits
(for both images) Photo credit: John Rainas