![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Statement Of Laura Trejo
Environmental Protection Agency
Aging Initiative Public Listening Session
Los Angeles, California
April 29, 2003
General Manager,
City of Los Angeles Department of Aging
Good afternoon. One of my jobs as an Area Agency on Aging Director (along with John Coyle) is to look at ways of identifying emerging issues of concern to our aging population. It is our responsibility to develop advocacy to address those needs, and to plan for them once those needs have been identified. We ultimately and oftentimes become the developers of partnerships, consortiums and coalitions to develop a system of care that deals with the health of older persons.
The whole area of environmental health is critical especially in a region like Southern California and the State - we have many populations that have had lifelong exposure to hazards, and there is a serious concern to those of us in aging network to look at what kind of service strategies there need to be in order to provide more access to services for older persons.
I applaud the EPA's aging initiative and think it is a wonderful opportunity for us to become involved in the areas of health, education and prevention that are very critical to our current and emerging aging population.