7/30/2019 Testimony of Molly Rauch, MPH Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force on Environmen

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Testimony of Molly Rauch, MPH

Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force

Environmental Protection Agencys Proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for New Power Plants

Standard of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric

Utility Generating Units

Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0660

May 24, 2012

Washington, DC

Good afternoon, Im Molly Rauch. I live in Washington, DC. I am speaking today as a

representative of Moms Clean Air Force, as a public health professional, and as a mom. My

daughter turned 9 just yesterday, and I have two boys, ages 4 and 6.

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today in support of EPAs proposed carbon

rules.

Moms Clean Air Force is a community of moms united by concern over the effects of air pollution

on our children. We read the health research on air pollution, and we have learned a lot about the

health effects of breathing dirty air. We know that in its many forms, air pollution has been linked

to the major health problems of our time. We see that asthma attacks, heart attacks, heart disease,

stroke, lung cancer, premature death, emergency room visits, hospital admissions all of these

health problems have been linked to air pollution.

Many of these problems harm our children in particular. We at Moms Clean Air Force think thats

unacceptable.

I have with me and wish to submit the comments of more than 8,000 members of Moms Clean Air

Force in support of the proposed carbon pollution standard. These moms, dads, and grandparentsknow that protecting our children means preventing pollution.

Carbon pollution is disrupting our planets climate, causing temperatures to rise. These rising

temperatures increase formation of ground-level ozone, or smog, which triggers asthma. This is just

one of the many health impacts that people will endure in a warming world. After reviewing a

massive volume of research by leading climate scientists on smog formation and other climate

impacts, EPA found that carbon pollution is a health threat to Americans. I am here to assert that

carbon pollution is a health threat especially for our children.

Just last year, I was personally affected by air pollution. I developed wheezing and respiratory

symptoms, and started using an inhaler and other medications. I noticed that my symptoms are

worse on days when the air quality around Washington, DC, is poor. Doctors and scientists know

that the high smog and particle pollution levels we have here in DC and around much of the

country can harm our lungs and trigger asthma attacks. Because of my wheezing, I exercise less. I

spend less time outside with my children; and, of course, I am concerned about what pollution is

doing to my childrens lungs, and whether they will develop asthma symptoms too. And I have it

easy -- very, very easy.

7/30/2019 Testimony of Molly Rauch, MPH Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force on Environmen

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Take Rachael Lemire Murphy. She has two children with asthma. She lives in Massachusetts, where

wind currents carry pollutants from power plants many of which are in other states into her

community, forming smog. Her daughter Mia has such severe asthma that last year blood vessels in

her eyes burst from the coughing. Mia regularly has to take 5-day courses of steroids for her asthma,

which cause nightmares, outbursts, and uncontrollable tears. Rachael says, and I quote: cleaning

up air pollution from coal fired power plants would have a tremendous impact on my childrens

health.

Or, take Chandra Baldwin-Woods, whose son, Jovante, had a severe asthma attack almost two years

ago at home in Ohio and died at age 16. He was one of the more than 3,000 people who die of

asthma every year. Jovante was an athlete who had suffered from asthma since he was a baby. His

sudden attack, which led to his death, is a horror to contemplate. Chandra says, and I quote, air

pollution causes asthma attacks and cuts short the lives of those we love most.

Our blog is full of stories from Chandra, Rachael, and so many others. We need to do everything

we can to prevent children like Jovante from dying; to prevent Mias next severe asthma attack; to

prevent the damage smog causes inside my childrens lungs. Reducing carbon pollution is a critical

step toward protecting their health.

Our electric utilities claim that theyve given us cheap electricity. But for Jovantes mom, it could

not have been more expensive.

Moms have a lot of experience cleaning up messes. We know that most children wont clean up

their messes on their own. Neither will our power plants. Our children deserve a well-regulated

electric power industry that produces electricity from clean sources, without destabilizing the

climate, increasing smog levels and associated respiratory health problems, and causing other grave

health effects of global warming. Its the EPAs job to set the rules that will give us the clean and

safe power industry all Americans and especially our children deserve.

Please finalize the Carbon Pollution Standard for the sake of our children. Thank you for your

time.