By: Vanessa Lynch, Pennsylvania Campaign Coordinator, 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. My name is Vanessa Lynch. I am the Pennsylvania Campaign Coordinator, and I am here representing the almost 105,000 Moms Clean Air Force Pennsylvania members. I live with my husband and two children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a state with a history of coal extraction and numerous coal-fired power plants, I strongly oppose EPA’s proposal to repeal recent updates to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
With two of the biggest mercury-polluting coal-fired power plants located in my state—the Keystone and Conamaugh electric generating stations—the requirements for continuous emissions monitoring for coal plants rather than periodic emissions tests, along with the reductions in other health-harming air pollutants, would be a breath of fresh air for local families. Now, these coal-fired power plants have requested MATS exemptions via Trump’s EPA mercury pollution free pass. No amount of mercury is safe for humans, so why would we allow some of the dirtiest coal plants in the country a free mercury pollution pass?
Moms Clean Air Force has been advocating for strong mercury protections for over a decade. With 86% of women in the country having had at least one child, the health needs of pregnant women, the caretakers of our future generations, shouldn’t be relegated to a do not eat list.
Mercury is especially dangerous for developing babies and children. After ingestion, mercury can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to toxic effects on fetal and infant brains. When pregnant women eat contaminated fish, mercury can cause impaired motor function, learning impairments, and behavioral problems in their children. Moms spend so much of our time and energy trying to protect our children, it is frustrating to know simply what you eat will jeopardize your child’s health.
Added to the impacts of mercury are the health impacts of the toxic heavy metals associated with coal-fired power plants such as lead, arsenic, and chromium, which are known to cause fatal heart attacks, cancer, and developmental delays in children.
We know mercury safeguards significantly decrease mercury pollution with huge health benefits and low costs. As this administration works to place an emphasis on family building and encouraging women to have more children, placing women’s health and the health of their babies at the forefront of decision making on mercury and other health-harming air toxics would demonstrate that commitment.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today. On behalf of Pennsylvania moms, I oppose EPA’s proposal to weaken the recently strengthened Mercury and Air Toxics standards.