Poor living conditions for migrant workers cited

OTHELLO - Two people who provided poor living conditions to migrant farm workers at a camp near Othello were fined $10,000.

Paulino Neponunceo and Gloria Sanchez were fined by the U.S. Department of Labor for violating the federal Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA).

The migrant farm workers who lived at the camp worked primarily apple thinning and cherry picking in nearby orchards. They were evacuated May 23, 2007.

The camp is on Saddle Road and is commonly known as Green Camp. It contained several neon green trailer homes housing approximately 30 migrants. The displaced migrants were relocated to emergency housing in Mattawa.

"Among the conditions found were surface water and sewage collecting at the campsite due to inadequate drainage and contaminated water supplies," according to the U.S. Labor Department. "The camp was littered with debris and trailers were found to have holes in the floors, walls and ceilings, which did not protect against the elements."

Several of the trailers reportedly did not have window screens or screen doors and had soggy floors with walls splitting at the seams. Several trailers reportedly contained faulty electrical wiring.

"You could literally see right through the floor in some places," stated Debra Fisher, manager of the Migrant Farm Worker Housing Program with the Department of Health. "It was questionable if it was safe."

Two other nearby camps were inspected by the state Department of Health with similar living conditions. The two camps were shut down May 31, 2007.

Migrant farm workers from the two camps were relocated to emergency housing and the Cabana Motel in Othello. The state provided vouchers to all displaced migrants to pay for the first 10 days of housing needs. Some emergency housing locations offered discounts to those who were relocated to make sure they had a place to live.

"This case exemplifies the commitment of the labor department's Wage and Hour Division to protecting the safety and health of migrant farm workers in labor camps," stated Donna Hart, director of the division's Seattle office. "Violations of the housing standards can pose an imminent danger to these workers."

The division enforces the MSPA. The MSPA establishes employment standards concerning wages, housing, record keeping, transportation and disclosures.