By: Melody Reis, Senior Legislative and Regulatory Policy Manager, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: February 21, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Melody Reis, and I am the Senior Legislative and Regulatory Policy Manager at Moms Clean Air Force, located just outside Washington, DC. I am here to urge EPA to set standards for particle pollution that are—for the annual standard—no higher than 8 micrograms/cubic meter and—for the daily standard—no higher than 25 micrograms/cubic meter. I was disappointed to see EPA’s proposed standards fall short of this, particularly its decision to maintain the current 24-hour standard. Stronger standards are imperative if we are to protect the health of our children and communities, and I urge you to act swiftly.
Particle pollution—or soot—is produced by, among other things, burning fossil fuels. Invisible particles 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair are generated when we operate power plants and factories and drive cars and trucks. These particles are so small that they can be inhaled into our lungs and delivered straight into our bloodstream, where they can cause any number of adverse health outcomes, including heart disease, cancer, and asthma.
EPA has been granted the authority to determine what level of particulate matter is considered safe. The current limits were last updated in 2012, over 10 years ago. Last year, EPA’s scientific advisors informed the agency that the annual standard no longer adequately protects public health, and the panel recommended strengthening both the annual and daily standards.
Parents, teachers, and other community members rely on EPA to follow the science in determining what is safe. Most of us do not have the time or expertise to test our own air quality. We rely on these standards to help us decide if it’s safe to let kids have outdoor recess, play outdoor sports, run, or ride their bikes outside. If these standards aren’t protective, we could be exposing growing children—whose little lungs make them more vulnerable—to unsafe levels of air pollution.
When EPA tells us that our air is safe, we need to be able to trust that. Parents around the country are counting on EPA to follow the science and protect our children’s health by strengthening current soot standards. Both the daily and the annual standards must be strengthened, and they must be strengthened now.
I urge EPA to establish a protective standard for particle pollution no higher than 8 micrograms per cubic meter for the annual standard and 25 micrograms per cubic meter for the daily standard. Everyone deserves to breathe clean air, and that starts with setting meaningful, science-based standards. We cannot afford to wait. Thank you for your attention to this matter and thank you for your time.