By: Kindra Weid, Electric School Bus Outreach Coordinator
Date: July 29, 2026
About: Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2026-0728-0114
To: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
My name is Kindra Weid, and I'm from southeastern Michigan. I am submitting this testimony on behalf of Moms Clean Air Force. I am a critical care RN and air quality advocate.
I strongly oppose EPA’s attempt to roll back tailpipe protections from heavy-duty trucks. These protections were put in place based on the overwhelming conclusive evidence demonstrating tailpipe pollution is linked to several negative health outcomes. Removing these protections will be detrimental to public health.
As a nurse, I see the direct health impacts of tailpipe pollution exposure on members of my own community and even within my own household. My family lives along a busy roadway, and we breathe in daily harmful tailpipe pollution from heavy-duty vehicle traffic. This impacts my partner’s asthma, causing inflammation, irritation, and flares acute exacerbations. It causes headaches and nausea for me, not to mention noise. I also witness these impacts on my community members in the local hospital where I work.
Many older adults have multiple chronic heart and lung conditions impacted by tailpipe pollution, such as coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We also know that long-term exposure to pollution from tailpipes contributes to these chronic conditions forming in the first place. In Washtenaw County alone, almost 24,000 individuals cope with COPD and over 28,000 with CAD. Both of these conditions are exacerbated by tailpipe pollution exposure and can lead to emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
My air quality and nursing advocacy overlap with keeping children safe on their travels to and from school. Diesel buses are the predominant mode of transportation for school children despite the well-established research that heavy-duty diesel vehicles emit highly toxic air pollution that contributes to asthma attacks, one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. By limiting tailpipe pollution from heavy-duty trucks and buses, we can improve the air quality for children riding to and from school. This has been shown to improve lung function, learning conditions, and attendance. Kids learn best in a healthy environment.
The bottom line is that tailpipe pollution is toxic. Any measures to reduce or limit it should be maintained and strengthened, not weakened. Please maintain strong air quality protections in support of human health and the environment, consistent with the mission of the EPA.