By: Erandi Treviño, Texas State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: February 21, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to share my comments with you today. My name is Erandi Treviño, and I am the Texas Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and its Latino engagement program, EcoMadres.We fight for Justice in Every Breath, recognizing the importance of equitable solutions in addressing air pollution and climate change.
I am calling on EPA to set a protective standard for soot of 8 micrograms per cubic meter for the annual standard and 25 micrograms per cubic meter for the daily standard. Stronger soot standards can save lives. EPA must set the strongest science-based soot standards to clean our air, advance environmental justice, and protect our health.
My mother and I share a home in Houston, where the poor air quality impacts us due to many sources, including heavy-duty vehicles, oil and gas operations, oil refineries, petrochemical facilities, and the Houston ship channel. My mother and I both have fibromyalgia and other chronic conditions that can be caused, triggered, and made worse by soot pollution. My mother is hypertensive and pre-diabetic, and I have chronic inflammation, and we both suffer from recurring shortness of breath. My four-year-old niece has lived most of her life in the same home and suffers from severe allergies and breathing problems that often disrupt her sleep. My sister recently moved to a side of town that is farther away from the concentrated pollution that I have at home. She hopes this move will continue to benefit my niece and provide her with some much-needed relief. My mother and I live here because our work and family are located here. We think about moving, but I also consider our community and responsibility to fight for cleaner air. Other families live here because they may not have the financial means and support to move somewhere with better air quality. But moving cannot be the answer when 40% of people in the country live with inadequate air quality.
The annual and daily soot standards matter because long-term and short-term exposure to particle pollution impacts our health. Owing to its small size, soot can penetrate our lungs and bloodstream, causing devastating health impacts. These include decreased lung function, difficulty breathing, premature death, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Some of us are already predisposed to these conditions and diseases. My mother and I already struggle with decreased lung function and difficulty breathing. My grandmother and two aunts died of diabetes, and my mother is pre-diabetic. My mother is hypertensive, and my blood pressure fluctuates irregularly. All of these vulnerabilities make our exposure to soot pollution much more damaging.
Soot can come from burning fossil fuels in power plants, industrial processes, and vehicle tailpipes. In my home in Southeast Houston, we have all of these sources at our doorstep or close to it. EPA must follow the science and establish standards to protect public health, especially vulnerable populations. According to the American Lung Association, 63 million people in the United States experience unhealthy spikes in daily soot pollution. Communities of color are disproportionately exposed to higher-than-average levels of soot. Spikes in daily soot pollution can result in acute health impacts during or soon after a day of poor air quality.
This tragic reality is unjust because air pollution from sources such as oil and gas operations is not evenly distributed. Soot pollution adds to the burden of existing pollution problems in communities of color and low-income communities, exacerbating inequities and putting families at increased risk of severe health issues. It is a heavy foot on the neck of our communities. It keeps us down, tired, sick, and behind. This is an injustice and environmental racism. For the health of all people struggling to get by, to stay healthy and productive, EPA needs to place strong standards on soot pollution.