This article examines several federal and state laws, such as the Worker Protection Standards and the Florida Pesticide Law, to determine whether the goals of these laws are being achieved in the State of Florida. A survey based on questions pertaining to various laws was used to gather data on farm workers in three South Florida counties. Face–to–face interviews were conducted with farm workers in Palm Beach and Indian River counties, Florida, in 1997 and in Collier County, Florida, in 1999. Overall, the findings indicate that farm workers in South Florida have been exposed to pesticides through direct or indirect spraying. The findings of the study reveal that federal and state laws—currently in place to protect the workers from pesticide exposure—are not effectively implemented, and farm workers are uninformed of the laws that exist to protect them from pesticide exposure. The study concludes with policy recommendations that will improve the implementation and enforcement of the current laws, which are designed to protect farm workers from pesticide exposure.

The scope of policy issues surrounding emergency management remains inundated with several social and political challenges. There are specific events that cause added strain which make certain time periods for examining levels of resiliency relevant. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill represents a large-scale, technological disaster. Not only was there a loss of human life, but several community impacts also exist with the oil having spewed out into the water. Still, what impacts—that is, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors—are associated with varying population groups that may be more vulnerable than others? Examining the connection between social capital and political trust is, thus, paramount as prior studies have documented that if resiliency networks are disrupted, there will be a lasting impact upon the community. This research extends the limited understanding of case-based perceptions of social and political vulnerability regarding disaster responsibility.

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