By: Melody Reis, Federal Policy Director, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: July 10, 2025
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794-6978
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Melody Reis, and I am the Federal Policy Director for Moms Clean Air Force. I strongly support EPA’s safeguards against mercury and other toxic emissions coming from coal-fired power plants and oppose EPA’s proposal to repeal recent updates to these important rules.
As you are aware, mercury occurs naturally in coal in small quantities. When coal is burned to create energy, that mercury is released into the air. Mercury in the air can travel thousands of miles before eventually settling into waterways (or the land, where it can then be washed into the water). Once in the water, certain microorganisms can change mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish and animals that eat fish. Most human exposure to mercury comes from the consumption of fish, and there is no safe level of mercury for humans.
As someone who doesn’t eat seafood, I’d never put much thought into protecting myself from exposure to mercury. But the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are about more than mercury. In fact, the name of the rule makes that clear: mercury *and* air toxics. Burning coal produces a number of additional dangerous air pollutants, including heavy metals, soot, and smog-forming nitrogen oxides. These pollutants have been linked to a variety of health harms, including asthma attacks, strokes, heart attacks, lung cancer, reproductive harm and premature death.
Those of us who don’t eat seafood still breathe air. And according to the American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air Report, nearly half of Americans—over 156 million people—are breathing unhealthy air. Whether it’s soot or smog, when it comes to air quality, many of our states and counties (including my own in Washington, DC) are receiving failing grades. For communities with coal-fired power plants, strong standards like MATS can significantly cut this dangerous pollution, improving health outcomes for nearby families.
EPA’s recent MATS rule also requires continuous emissions monitoring for coal plants. Periodic emissions tests—generally conducted four days out of the year—aren’t necessarily an accurate reflection of the pollution generated by a given plant. As someone who lives near both an incinerator and an asphalt plant, I know there are good days and bad days in terms of emissions, and I know the importance of having access to accurate data about what’s in the air.
I strongly support the strengthened MATS rule and urge you to uphold these common-sense standards. The health of our children and our communities must be protected. Please resist efforts to roll back these critical rules.