EPA Clean Power Plan Public Hearing Comments 

Samantha Ahdoot, MD, FAAP 

On behalf of 

The American Academy of Pediatrics 

Good morning everyone. My name is Dr. Samantha Ahdoot. I am a 

practicing pediatrician in Alexandria, Virginia, a fellow of the American 

Academy of Pediatrics, and a member of the AAP's Council on 

Environmental Health. I am speaking here today on behalf of the AAP, a 

non-profit professional organization of 62,000 primary care pediatricians, 

pediatric medical sub-specialists, and pediatric surgical specialists 

dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, 

adolescents, and young adults. I am here to express AAP's' support of the 

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EPA's effort to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants and to 

urge EPA to enact the strongest possible standards to protect the health 

and development of children. 

Children are not little adults; they have unique physiologic, 

behavioral, and developmental differences that amplify their exposure to 

environmental contaminants. Children breathe at faster rate than adults, 

spend more time outside, and have proportionately greater skin surface 

exposed to the environment. AII of this contributes to children's 

disproportionate exposure to environmental contaminants. Additionally, as 

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children grow and mature, their bodies can be particularly vulnerable to 

environmental exposures during specific developmental windows. 

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Children als~

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disproportionately bear the burden of the negative 

health effects of climate change. According to the World Health 

Organization, over 80 percent of the current health burden from the 

changing climate is on children younger than five years old. Climate 

change has broad ranging health_~ffects that are especially detrimental to 

vulnerable populations s46h--.as children. This includes weather disasters, 

increases and pole-ward migration of climate sensitive infections, increases 

in allergic and asthmatic diseases, food and water insecurity, and 

increased heat-related deaths. Adverse childh experiences in the 

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absence of stable annd- support ive 

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relationships with adults, including the 

effects of rr6tural disasters resulting from climate change, can contribute to 

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the,Aevelopment of t©~Cic stress, with lifelong health effects. 

Power plants contribute approximately one-third of all U.S. 

greenhouse gas pollution, serving as a leading contributor to climate 

change. Reducing the carbon emissions of existing fossil fuel-fired power 

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plants represents a major stepa`toward addressing a key component of 

climate change in the U.S and stemming the tide of climate change and its 

myriad attendant negative health.effeGts. 

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In the near term, there are also extremely positive co-benefits to 

reducing carbon pollution that have an immediate impact on child health, 

such as reducing emission of other pollutants and the resulting creation of 

harmful ozone. When fully implemented 1t+2030, EPA's proposal will result 

in 6,600 fewer premature deaths, 150,000 fewer child asthma attacks, 

180,000 fewer missed school days, and 3,700 fewer cases of child 

bronchitis. 

The AAP applauds the EPA for considering the unique vulnerabilities 

of children in its development of this proposed rule. The AAP urges the 

EPA to adopt the strongest possible carbon pollution standards for existing 

power plants to ensure the rule provides the optimal possible child health 

benefit. Thank you for your time and for havin-~~y to provide 

comments on this pr-oposed rule. 

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