By: Sarah McBride, Program Coordinator for Media and Public Engagement, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: April 12, 2022
About: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards Proposed Rule, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0055
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a staff member of Moms Clean Air Force. I am from Falmouth, Massachusetts, which is a small town on Cape Cod.
I am testifying today because EPA’s proposal to strengthen pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles is a welcome step forward, but it doesn’t go far enough. Stronger standards than those proposed would better protect children, people with asthma, older adults, and other vulnerable groups from the health harms of air pollution, and would protect our future by cutting climate pollution, which is fueling the climate crisis.
Climate change is a significant threat to my home in Falmouth. Scientists say that Cape Cod and the surrounding islands could be submerged in 50 years due to sea level rise. Our allergy seasons have already gotten longer, and 2 years ago my family had to finally buy air conditioners to cope with the increasingly hot summers.
But another, less visible impact of climate change is what concerns me most in the present—an increase in tick-borne disease.
Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks, is considered a public health crisis on Cape Cod because there are so many ticks here. I’ve seen firsthand how devastating this disease can be. One of my friends in high school developed meningitis as a complication of Lyme disease and had to miss the first half of our sophomore year to recover. Another person I know here who had Lyme disease went from biking 40-50 miles a day to walking with a crutch because the inflammation caused by the disease led to such severe joint pain. It’s terrifying that climate change is making this disease even more common in my community.
The largest source of climate pollution in the US is the transportation sector, which is responsible for 29% of all climate pollution. Within the transportation sector, heavy-duty vehicles are the second-largest contributor, at 23%. I urge EPA to finalize standards that significantly cut climate pollution from this highly polluting sector. This will help us avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis, protecting my home here on Cape Cod and protecting the health of the people that live here.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify.