By: Julie Kimmel, Manager of Member Cultivation, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 9, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829
To: Environmental Protection Agency
My name is Julie Kimmel. I live with my husband and daughter in Reston, Virginia, and I work for Moms Clean Air Force. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
I’m calling on EPA to finalize the strongest possible Clean Car Standards this year. Stronger transportation standards are crucial to protect the health of our children and communities.
I grew up here in Northern Virginia. For as long as I can remember, we’ve had issues with traffic congestion. Even with mass transit expansion into the deep suburbs, traffic remains a big issue here, and it’s certainly our largest source of air pollution.
We are lucky in Reston to have a robust network of walking paths that can take us from our homes to parks to swimming pools to shopping centers. But many of these paths parallel heavily trafficked roads. And breathing in car exhaust is not just gross; it’s dangerous. I have friends with children who have been hospitalized for severe asthma attacks that followed time spent playing outdoors, in the heat, breathing in vehicle pollution. I have adult runner friends with asthma who plan routes to avoid car fumes.
I myself am starting to question a few of my regular running routes. I run most days of the week, usually for at least an hour and sometimes for much longer. After being outside near local roadways for any amount of time, I’ll frequently come home with a sore and scratchy throat for the rest of the day.
Breathing in dirty air can cause asthma attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular harm, increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits, increased risk of infections, cognitive problems, lung cancer, and even premature death. Could running outdoors—a presumably healthy activity—be harming my health?
The bottom line for me is that neither children nor adults should have to sacrifice outdoor time because of air pollution. Spending time outdoors helps me find balance and mental clarity in a life that can often feel overwhelming. Spending time outdoors helps my daughter to exercise her imagination and learn how to cope with surprises (like unwelcome carpenter bees on a spring day).
Having a safe outdoor space to explore and enjoy is essential to human well-being. Despite the local traffic, my family is privileged in this regard—we only have vehicle exhaust to contend with. Communities of color and low-income communities are often impacted by pollution not just from major highways but also from nearby heavy industry. These communities will benefit most from strong pollution standards for cars and a rapid transition to zero-emissions vehicles.
Please adopt the strongest possible pollution protections for light- and medium-duty vehicles. And please finalize these standards as soon as possible.