On Wednesday, June 28, I spoke at the final “Route Zero Relay” event, delivering over 130,000 comments in favor of EPA’s plan to reduce car pollution. The Route Zero Relay has traveled across the country, uplifting stories from people in the US about how they would benefit from reduced tailpipe pollution and cleaner air, where they see opportunities for zero-emission vehicles, how cities and towns are proactively working toward clean transportation initiatives, and more. The final stop on the relay was at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC.
Here is the transcript of my speech:
Good morning! My name is Stephanie Reese. I am the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, and Strategic Implementation for Moms Clean Air Force.
At Moms Clean Air Force, our membership of more than one-and-a-half-million parents and caregivers are united to protect our children’s health by making sure that our clean air and climate rules and laws are as strong as they can be.
And “strong” is exactly what brings us here today. As the final stop on the Route Zero Relay, we are here to tell EPA that we must take action against harmful vehicle pollution by setting the strongest possible standards for cars and light-duty vehicles.
When it comes to clean air and climate action, we have NO time to waste in transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. When we cut emissions from cars, we reduce air pollution that contributes to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory illnesses. We also reduce children’s trips to the emergency room due to asthma attacks. And we reduce the number of older adults who struggle with lung disease and other chronic conditions.
This is why it was so important for me to be here with you today. As a mom, I’m motivated to do this work so my sons will have a healthier and brighter tomorrow.
Tailpipe pollution literally hits close to home for us. We live only a few minutes from Interstate 95. Vehicles and their toxic emissions are never far from our home. As a mom, I worry about my sons, who are 12 and 7 years old–who are more vulnerable than adults with their smaller bodies and still-developing lungs. They are breathing in more polluted air per pound of body weight. I also worry about the impact this pollution has on communities of color, who disproportionately experience higher levels of pollution exposure.
But EPA could soon make I-95 and other roadways safer for our health. In a few short weeks, the agency will take stock of ALL it has heard from the public. And let me tell you, EPA got an earful!
Between testimonies at a public hearing and comments to the agency, thousands of Moms Clean Air Force members spoke up in favor of stronger clean car standards, reminding us that real human lives are on the line with these standards.
Take Hazel Chandler, a spunky great grandmother in Arizona. Hazel’s hometown of Phoenix has some of the very worst air pollution and climate impacts anywhere in the country. As the former director of Maricopa County’s asthma coalition, she knows the toll tailpipe pollution can take on children and older adults. And decades of inaction wreaked havoc on her own health. And quoting Hazel: “The damage from this has been done to my body in the form of Stage 4 cancer and respiratory issues.”
Or take Erandi Treviño, who lives in Houston, which is battling a brutal heat wave as I speak. Her family faces the cumulative effects of pollution that come from being surrounded by heavy industry, oil refineries, and trucking routes. This pollution not only affects the air quality, but also contributes to climate change. As Erandi told EPA–and I quote: “Harris County, where I live, sees some of the highest occurrences of extreme weather events in the country. We are struggling to recover from the emotional and financial strains that come with it.”
Hazel and Erandi are but two powerful reminders that we have so many reasons to rapidly transition to zero-emitting cars.
I say to Administrator Regan and EPA: we know you hear our voices, and you take your duties seriously. We encourage your agency to take the highest road possible on tailpipe pollution. And we thank you and your staff for doing all you can to clean up toxic, climate-warming pollution from cars. Thank you for your commitment to improving our families’ quality of life—both now and into the future.
Learn more about Moms’ work on car and truck pollution.
TELL EPA: WE NEED THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE CLEAN CAR STANDARDS