By: Cinthia Moore, EcoMadres National Lead and Nevada Field Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: August 25, 2021
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0208
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good afternoon. My name is Cinthia Moore, and I am the Las Vegas field organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and national lead for EcoMadres. Moms Clean Air Force is an organization of over one and a half million moms and dads nationwide with over 8,000 of those members in Nevada fighting for clean air.
Today I am calling in support of the EPA’s proposal to strengthen greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks. I am calling from Las Vegas, a place that is well-known all over the world. However, one thing that is not known is that the American Lung Association's 2021 State of the Air Report ranked Las Vegas #12 in the country for ground ozone pollution, and Clark County ranked #17 in the country for most polluted places to live. Because of this, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres were very active in the Nevada legislature advocating for a bill that would close the smog check loophole that our state had. This was important because it was a first step in reducing smog pollution from older, more polluting vehicles. We were successful, and on the last day of session, this bill passed and was signed by the governor.
While this was a major victory in our state and a step in the right direction in improving our air quality, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and there is only so much that can be done at the state level. Cleaning up vehicle pollution is one of the most important things we can do to fight climate change.
Improving our air quality is important for vulnerable groups, like older Nevadans, and for children, whose lungs are still developing, and for Latino families, who are more likely to be exposed to air pollution. Latino children are 60% more at risk of having asthma attacks exacerbated by air pollution, and 40% more likely to die from an asthma attack. Efforts to improve our air quality are particularly important to me, as a mother of a four-year-old who has breathing problems and the parents of over 40,000 children who have asthma in Clark County.
President Biden has promised to address climate change and fight for environmental justice. By acting swiftly on clean cars, the administration has taken an important first step in tackling climate pollution from transportation. The EPA must set the strongest possible federal clean car standards through 2026, avoiding loopholes and putting automakers on track to meet ambitious pollution reduction goals. This proposal is a step in the right direction to address the climate emergency.
Improving our air quality is an environmental justice issue. Everyone has a right to breathe clean air.
Thank you for your time.