By: Erandi Treviño, Texas State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 11, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good afternoon. My name is Erandi Treviño. I am the Texas state organizer for Moms Clean Air Force, and I live in southeast Houston. I would like to voice my support for strong standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 and beyond, and to urge the EPA to finalize these important protections as quickly as possible. These protections are an important step forward in protecting our families from dangerous tailpipe pollution, which is a significant contributor to climate change and other harmful health impacts.
We need strong standards to better protect children, people with asthma, older adults, and other vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of climate change and air pollution. Parents across the country want to see a rapid transition to zero-emitting trucks, to provide a stable climate and cleaner air for our children and our communities.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical to addressing the climate change impacts on Houston and Harris County as a whole. Harris County, where I live, sees some of the highest occurrences of extreme weather events in the country. We grew up with hurricanes, but we now have to deal with freezes and even tornados! During Hurricane Harvey, so much water poured onto our communities that my mom’s home flooded and many people, including my oldest niece, had PTSD for years. In the aftermath of winter storm Uri, many people, including me, struggled to recover from the emotional and financial strains that came with it.
My youngest niece is three, and she has severe allergies and breathing problems that disrupt her sleep. My seven-year-old niece has eczema and, at her young age, has anxiety about extreme weather events. My mother and I both have fibromyalgia and many other chronic conditions. We often experience shortness of breath, fatigue, pain, and heavy pressure on our chests.
My multi-generational home in Southeast Houston is surrounded on all four sides by sources of pollution, one of which is a highway. According to the EPA, more than 45 million people in the US live within 300 feet of a major roadway or transportation facility. More than 40% of Americans—over 135 million people—live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Moving is not the solution. The solution is to address the root of the problem.
Once again, I urge EPA to finalize the strongest possible standards this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.