By: Vanessa Lynch, Pennsylvania State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 10, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Vanessa Lynch, and I am a state coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am testifying in support of the strongest possible multipollutant emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles or clean cars standards. Within the transportation sector, passenger cars and trucks are the largest greenhouse gas contributor, at 58% of all transportation sources and 17% of total US greenhouse gas emissions making this rulemaking extremely important.
Pollution from light- and medium-duty vehicles contributes to harmful soot and smog pollution that threatens the health of millions of people in the US. The added climate change impacts of tailpipe pollution make adopting zero emission vehicles as soon as possible vital.
Climate change is having large impacts across Pennsylvania and beyond. From increases in Lyme disease to flooding to extreme heat, families across the commonwealth are dealing with climate impacts.
For my family, extreme heat is a serious cause for concern. My daughter is particularly susceptible to heat related difficulties—from rashes to heat exhaustion to sun poisoning to sunburned eyes—we have experienced it all. And to be clear, for those most susceptible, like my daughter, sun poisoning can occur in 55-degree weather with sunny skies like they did for us a few years ago. We had no idea this was even possible. Now consider how much more at risk she is in the extreme heat being caused by climate change. Today’s children will live through at least 3 times as many climate disasters as their grandparents if those in power are unable to act quickly and effectively on climate.
In addition to important climate benefits, strong clean cars standards will help reduce other health-harming tailpipe air pollutants. Tailpipe exhaust from cars is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone (also referred to as smog). Ground-level ozone is harmful to breathe.
This rule will have a direct impact on our climate, help reduce other tailpipe pollution that harms our health, and will help speed our transition to zero-emissions vehicles. The cars covered by this rule will be on the road for decades, impacting air quality and climate for generations. I am urging EPA to adopt the strongest possible multipollutant emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles or clean cars standards.