By: Celerah Hewes, Senior Manager, State Field Campaigns
Date: June 3, 2026
About: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-3297
To: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony today. My name is Celerah Hewes, and I live in New Mexico with my family. I am also a Senior Field Manager for Moms Clean Air Force, an organization with over 1.6 million parents, caregivers, and family members working to protect our children’s health from the impacts of climate change and air pollution.
EPA’s criteria pollutant standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles (Clean Cars Standards) play a critical role in protecting our families from dangerous tailpipe pollution. I am here as both a parent and a representative of Moms Clean Air Force to urge EPA to protect these important standards and ask that they be implemented without delay.
The last time I gave testimony to EPA on this rule was 2023, and at the time, I mentioned that although air quality in the U.S. has improved in the past several decades, 36% of Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Just three years later, the 2026 State of the Air Report from the American Lung Association now has this number at 44% of Americans, with almost half of all children living with levels of unhealthy air pollution. We need to act now. Every year we delay matters to the health of our families.
While Albuquerque, where I live, is known for our blue skies and hot air balloons, we have also repeatedly received an F grade for ozone. Tailpipe exhaust from cars is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react in the atmosphere to form harmful ground-level ozone. Clean Cars Standards are an important step forward in protecting our families from this dangerous tailpipe pollution, which is a significant contributor to many harmful health impacts.
New Mexico has the highest levels of adults living poverty in the United States and the highest rate of childhood poverty in the region, according to a recent study from our Legislative Finance Committee. This increased burden of stress places vulnerable and marginalized communities at elevated risk for health impacts from climate change and air pollution.
Parents around the country want strong tailpipe protections because we see the health impacts of tailpipe pollution on our families every day. EPA must implement the Clean Cars Standards without delay—they are vital to protecting our families from air pollution. Our children deserve to breathe clean air. Thank you.