By: Liz Hurtado, Field Manager, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: February 22, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good morning. My name is Liz Hurtado, and I am a Field Manager for Moms Clean Air Force and its Latino engagement program, EcoMadres.
I am a mother of four living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I am urging EPA to set a more health protective standard for soot of 8 micrograms per cubic meter for the annual standard and 25 micrograms per cubic meter for the daily standard.
We know the burden of dirty air isn’t distributed evenly. Communities of color and low-wealth communities—which are so often located near high-traffic roads and industrial facilities—bear a disproportionate share of the health harms of 24-hour spikes in soot pollution. Multiple studies have found that Latinos and Hispanic communities are exposed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 than white and non-Hispanic populations.
These tiny particles have an enormous impact on our health. When inhaled, this micro-pollutant embeds in our lungs and passes directly into our bloodstream, leading to asthma attacks, lung cancer, impaired immune health, and more.
We know that soot pollution doesn’t respect neighborhood, community, or state boundaries. As a mother, I worry about my 13- and 10-year-olds breathing dirty air while at soccer practice, or my 9-year-old while riding her bike, or my 6-year-old while simply playing at the park. It’s in the air, the wind, and it spreads. This pollution affects everyone.
By tightening the soot standard, EPA could save up to 16,000 lives a year. EPA must move quickly to finalize the strongest limits on particle pollution as soon as possible to protect little lungs. No amount of soot is safe for us to breathe.
We simply cannot afford to miss this opportunity to meaningfully address air pollution and act on environmental justice. Our communities deserve action now.
Once again, I urge EPA to set a protective standard for particle pollution, consistent with the body of scientific evidence, no higher than8 micrograms per cubic meter for the annual standard and 25 micrograms per cubic meter for the daily standard.
All families and communities deserve to breathe clean air.
Thank you for your time.