By: Lucia Valentine, West Virginia State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 2, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0985
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Lucia Valentine, and I am the West Virginia Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force. I am from Shepherdstown, WV, and have lived in the Mountain State my whole life. On behalf of Moms Clean Air Force, I am testifying in support of the proposed standards and calling on EPA to finalize the strongest possible clean truck standards this year consistent with the Advanced Clean Trucks rules. Stronger transportation standards are crucial in protecting the health of our children and communities, and it is urgent that we act now.
Growing up on the banks of the Potomac River, I have experienced exacerbated climate disasters such as flooding due to the negative impacts that greenhouse gasses have on our environment. This is in major part due to the lack of vehicle pollution standards. The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the US, making up 27% of all emissions. Within the transportation sector, heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) are the second-largest greenhouse gas contributor, at 25%. The largest contributor is light-duty vehicles, like cars. EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations for heavy-duty vehicles are an important step forward in protecting our families from climate change.
Parents across West Virginia want to see a rapid transition to zero-emissions vehicles to cut climate pollution. Climate change is an issue of generational justice. Today’s children will live through at least three times as many climate disasters as their grandparents. West Virginia is currently one of the wettest states in the country, and unless we mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, our state expects to see flood disasters increase in severity and frequency. In addition to important climate benefits, strong clean truck standards will help reduce other tailpipe pollution that harms our health because they will help speed our transition to zero-emissions vehicles.
Air pollution from trucks is a major public health problem and although air quality in the US has improved in the past several decades, 36% of Americans—nearly 120 million people—live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2023 State of the Air Report. Tailpipe exhaust from heavy-duty vehicles is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone which is harmful to breathe. Tailpipe pollution from trucks is also a source of dangerous particle pollution (also known as soot). The trucks covered by this rule will be on the road for decades, impacting air quality for generations. These vehicles must be cleaned up as soon as possible.
Once again, I am urging EPA to adopt the strongest possible greenhouse gas rules for heavy-duty trucks consistent with the Advanced Clean Trucks rules. Please protect our health and our future by finalizing these standards as soon as possible. Thank you for your time today.