By: Chelsea Lyons, North Carolina State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 10, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Chelsea Lyons, I am the North Carolina State Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force. I live in Greensboro, North Carolina, with my husband and young son. On behalf of Moms Clean Air Force, I call on EPA to finalize the strongest possible clean cars standards by the end of this year. This rule is extremely important because transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States, making up 27% of all emissions. Within the transportation sector, passenger cars and trucks are the largest contributor, at 58% of all transportation sources and 17% of total US greenhouse gas emissions. And although air quality in the US has improved in the past several decades, 36% of Americans—nearly 120 million people—live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2023 “State of the Air” report. This is not the future I want for my son, or anyone’s child. We can and must do better and this rule can help us get there by setting strong limits on both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from tailpipes.
In this year’s “State of the Air” report, which was just released last month, several counties in North Carolina were graded a C or lower for high ozone days and particle pollution. Our state is home to over 264,000 children who suffer from pediatric asthma and are especially harmed by tailpipe pollution. As you are well aware, the health impacts of tailpipe pollution include:
- Asthma attacks
- Respiratory and cardiovascular harm
- Increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits
- Premature death
- Increased risk of infections
- Cognitive problems
- Adverse birth outcomes
- Lung cancer
We must finalize the strongest rule to ensure a safe future for our kids.
I see the harm climate change poses to our community, especially in terms of mental health. I recently had the privilege to speak with people in my community at an Earth Day event. I found myself drained after hearing so many stories about the horrors and fears of climate change. My community is scared and frantic for improved safeguards for themselves and their families. Many stories were from mothers who had no idea how to explain climate change to their kids. Because children are asking questions. EPA’s new report, “Climate Change and Children’s Health and Well-Being in the United States,” so perfectly lays bare the mental health impacts of climate change on our kids, and I can attest that parents feel these impacts too. This rule will help curb greenhouse gas emissions and help us stave off the worst impacts of climate change.
Strong safeguards are an important step forward in protecting our families from harmful climate pollution and air pollution too. I would like to be able to tell my son about the time we fought for clean cars and won. Thank you for today and for your continued hard work.