By: Maribeth Diggle, Washington DC Supermom, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 9, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794
To: Environmental Protection Agency
My name is Maribeth Diggle. I’m a proud volunteer at Moms Clean Air Force in Washington, DC, and I am also a PhD student at the RITCS School of Arts in Brussels, specializing in “Breath Art.” I research the diversity of breath qualities as a tool in all performing bodies in relation to the growing topic of breath politics.
I am testifying to call on EPA to finalize strong Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and limit the amount of mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. Stronger mercury standards are crucial in protecting the health of our children and communities, and it is urgent that we act now.
Being given the opportunity to conduct research as a PhD student, I realized that it is impossible to speak about breath function and breath expression without speaking about the realities of air pollution, which lead to preventable breath injustices, such as asthma attacks, respiratory issues, lung cancer, and other diseases made worse by air pollution.
Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that ends up in the water, soil, and air, which concentrates up the food chain, especially in fish. It is a hazardous pollutant particularly dangerous for pregnant women and young children.
As a way to embody the science of air quality and its politics, I would like to advocate for our youngest members of society by creating language for their breath autonomy. Breathing is not just a way to survive. It offers us an outlet for our personal expression, a way to listen to our bodies, and tools to create bridges between different people and cultures by respecting our diversities through our common breath. What better tools could we give our young people than these essential building blocks for them to grow into whole and healthy people.
Today’s generation, however, must now address breathing in relation to societal struggle. For better or worse, our breath quality exemplifies the political air quality choices we continue to make. In the words of my academic mentor Magdalena Górska, “the development of knowledge is not an innocent act.” It is not enough to simply understand what is wrong, but to take action. Air quality means the quality of lives are changed.
I would like to finish by reminding us that breathing is an autonomous function that we own. It is a space we inhabit. It is a form of engagement and community. It is a reflection of power relations and vulnerabilities. And it has been a practice of health and spirituality for centuries.
Please remember the embodied ethics of air quality when setting the strongest standards to reduce mercury air toxics. Thank you.