By: Ana Rios, New Mexico State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: June 13, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0072
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good day! My name is Ana Rios. I am the New Mexico field organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and its Latino engagement program, EcoMadres. I am here today on behalf of more than 20,000 moms, dads, and caregivers in my state united against air pollution and climate change to express my support for EPA’s proposal to limit carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants and to ask EPA to finalize these standards as quickly as possible. We must protect our families from the harmful air pollution generated by these emissions that is responsible for nearly one-quarter of the climate pollution in the US and is impacting our health.
I live with my three children in Albuquerque, where we have been exposed to different climate threats, like extreme heat and drought. Some years ago, I suffered from acute bronchitis. Last year as early as April, we had wildfires in a significant area of the state, which greatly affected my ability to breathe—I could feel my lungs needing to work hard.
Soon after, during the summer, we had floods. I felt like we couldn’t catch a break.
As a Latina, I worry about my community and my family as we are part of the outdoor workforce here in the US. Latino individuals are disproportionately represented in the outdoor workforce, with nearly 80% of farmworkers self-identifying as Hispanic. Our community faces a disproportionate risk to health impacts from heat.
My husband and I believe that we have a moral responsibility to act now to protect the well-being of our children and future generations. Six years ago, we installed a photovoltaic system at our house to generate clean energy to reduce climate pollution. If we as a family made that commitment, EPA must enact strong limits on new and existing fossil fuel power plants in order to protect the health of our communities and reduce the greenhouse gas pollution that causes dangerous and costly climate change.
Once again, I support EPA’s proposal to limit carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants and ask that EPA finalize these standards as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your time today.