By: Tracy Sabetta, Ohio 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. My name is Tracy Sabetta, and I am the state coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force in Ohio. I live in Pickerington, just outside of Columbus. I am a mother and someone who has worked in public health and advocacy for nearly three decades. On behalf of Moms Clean Air Force, I am testifying in support of the proposed clean truck standards and call on EPA to finalize strong standards this year. Stronger transportation standards are crucial in protecting the health of our children and communities, and it is urgent that we act now.
While I certainly don’t need to tell you this, many people may be surprised to know that transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, making up 27% of all emissions. Heavy-duty vehicles rank second within that sector, right behind light duty vehicles like cars. The Biden administration’s Clean Trucks Plan and the inclusion of this proposed rule will move us forward in reducing these harmful emissions by outlining stronger greenhouse gas standards for these vehicles, like school buses, transit buses, delivery trucks and semi-trucks. These standards will also help reduce other tailpipe pollution that harms our health by accelerating our transition to zero-emissions electric vehicles.
This cannot come too soon for a state like Ohio. While the air quality in our state has improved over the last 30 years, it has not improved at the same rate as other states. We consistently rank in the bottom ten for state-level pollution. According to the 2023 American Lung Association State of the Air report released just last month, there are still more than 152,000 Ohio children who struggle with asthma every day. We know tailpipe pollution from trucks can exacerbate asthma attacks, respiratory illness and increase hospital admissions and emergency department visits. Tailpipe exhaust is also a significant source of nitrogen oxides, which react in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone. In the 2023 State of the Air Report, 8 of Ohio’s 10 most populated counties received grades of either D or F for ozone pollution.
These emissions are impacting Buckeyes every day, but not equally. Research shows that people of color experience higher than average levels of climate change pollution exposure from a variety of sources, including heavy-duty trucks. Black Americans, specifically, are exposed to higher than average amounts of pollution from all sources, according to the EPA’s National Emissions Inventory.
Greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate change, and Ohioans are driving trucks. That’s why the EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas regulations for new heavy-duty vehicles are such an important step forward in protecting our families from climate change pollution. Moms Clean Air Force is calling on EPA to finalize the strongest possible clean trucks standards, consistent with the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, this year. Thank you.