By: Giovanna Rossi, New Mexico Field Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: July 10, 2025
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794-6978
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Giovanna Rossi, and I am a mom and an organizer with the New Mexico chapter of Moms Clean Air Force, a community of over 1.5 million moms and caregivers united to protect children’s health from air pollution and climate change.
I am here today because I am deeply concerned—both as a parent and a public advocate—about EPA’s proposal to repeal recent amendments to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. We strongly oppose this effort. There is no safe level of mercury exposure. None.
I want to share something personal. When I was pregnant, I remember vividly being told by my doctor to avoid eating fish—something I had always considered a healthy source of protein. Why? Because of mercury contamination. I was stunned. I had to completely change my eating habits out of fear that something in our food supply—something invisible and avoidable only with strict limits—could harm the developing brain of my baby.
That moment crystallized for me the connection between environmental policy and personal decisions women are forced to make during pregnancy. It’s not fair. Expecting moms shouldn't have to worry that eating fish could permanently affect their child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive. And yet, this is the reality for many families—especially those in communities that rely on fish as a staple food or cultural tradition.
Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution in the United States. When mercury is released into the air, it eventually settles into waterways, where it becomes methylmercury—a toxic compound that builds up in fish and enters our food chain.
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have been incredibly effective. Since the rule went into effect, mercury emissions have dropped by 86%, and other toxic pollutants like arsenic and lead have also been significantly reduced. The strengthened MATS rule issued last year by the Biden administration closed dangerous loopholes—especially for lignite coal plants in states like Texas and North Dakota—and required continuous emissions monitoring to ensure real accountability.
But now, these life-saving, modernized protections are under threat. EPA’s proposal to repeal recent updates to MATS, and worse, the agency’s recent support of presidential compliance exemptions that allowed polluters to email in a request to delay compliance, puts families like mine—and yours—at risk. We cannot afford to turn back the clock.
The science is clear. The public health benefits are clear. And the cleaner energy transition is already well underway. Weakening MATS makes no sense—not for our health, not for our economy, and not for our future.
Moms Clean Air Force has been advocating for strong mercury protections for over a decade. We’re not backing down now. We call on the EPA to stand firm: protect our children and uphold recent amendments to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
Thank you for your time, and for your commitment to upholding public health protections.