### TestimonyofMolly Rauch, MPH Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force

Environmental ProtectionAgency's Proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for Ne\V 

### Power Plants**~>Standard** 

### ofPerfonnancc 

### for Greenhouse Gas Etnissions for Nc\v Stationarr·Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" 

### DocketNumberEPA-HQ-OAR-201Hl660
May 24, 2012
\Vashington, DC


### (Jood clfternonn, 

### I'm Molly Rauch. I lin: in 

### \Xlashingron, 

### DC. I <1m 

### speaking 

### tocby c1s 

### a rcpre::;cntcltiYe ofMoms Clean Air force, <b a puh!ic hec1lth profes:=:.Lomd, and c-1s c1 mom. My 

### chughtcr turned 9justycstercby, o1nd I have tv:o boys, ages 4 and 6.

I clln gr<HL'ful (or 

### the opportunity to speak with you tocby in support ofEPA's proposed carbon ruks.

Moms C!cc1n Air 

### Force i." 

### acommunity ofmoms unite-d 

### by concern m·er the etfccts ofc1ir pollution

on our children. \X/e read the health resench on c1ir pollution, cmd we**han~ le;~rned**  cl lor about the health d{.:'cts ofbreathing dirty c1ir. \Xle know that in its mc1ny (orms, ctir poilution hc1::-; been linked to the lll<ljor hco1lth problem::-; ofour rime. \Vc ::-;e:e that clsthmcl c1ttacks, heart attacks, he·,Jrt disc·cJse, :::;rroke, lung cancer, prL·marurc decnh, emergency room \·isits, lw.spitcd ;-ldmis::-;ion.s- a

### !I ofthese hcct!th proLlt'ms lun:' hcL'Il linked ro air pollution. Mc1ny of rlwSL' prohluns harm our children in pmticubr. \Xlc <lt Moms Clean Air Force think thar's tll1cKceptclbk.

I hciYe wirh me 

### <1ncl wi,c;h tu submit the comments ofmore than 8,00() members ofMoms Clean Air Force in support ufrhL' propo::-;ed c1rhon pollution standc1rd. These moms, dmh, ·and grandp<trents know that protecting our children mcms preventing polltltion.

CcJrhtli1 pnllminn i:' di::-;rupting our plcmet's climate, C<lttsing tempercnures to rise--... These rising tempnatures incre:Jsc formation**nfgroJ.md~lc\Tl** OZOill', or .-;mug, which triggers asthma. This is ju:;;t onL' ofrhe many health irnJY,lCts th<tt peopk will e-ndure in <1 wctnning \\·orld. After rc\'iewing :-1 m:-1-'i:<.in' n1lumc of**rL':'C:HL~h** 

### by lcctding**clim<~re** :3L'ic-ntists on smog fonw1tion cmd othn climc1te impclct:-;, 1--<:l_)A found thclt carbon po!lution i:;; a hectlrh threat to Americans. I am herc- to c1:;serr th·,Jt c;nbun pollution is a lwcdrh threat c.-;pecictlly for our children.

Ju:-;t lasr \'e;Jr, 

### 1wa:-; pcrsnncllly affected by clir pollntion. I de\'eloped whee:ine cmd rcspiratm;: syrnproms, cmd Stflrtcd usin.t:t c1n inhaler 

### c-md other me-dications. 

### I noticed that my ::-;yrnptoms c1rcworsc on days whc·n the air quality <lfOtllHl Wa:;;hington,

## nc, b poor. Doctors and Sl:ientist:-; know that the high**;:;mo~** c1nd pclrtidc- pollution 

### le\-c:l.-; \\'e hm·e here in DC 

### cmcl cuound much ofthe cuuntr\' c:1n h<1rm nur lungs cmd trigger ctsthma attacks. lkGlUSC ofmy V\'heezing, I exercise k:;;s. I .:;pend !c:-;s tilll'--' out.-;ide 'kith my children; ;Uicl, ofcourse, I am L:onccrned abonrwhen pollution is doinu to my children':_.::**lun.~s,** <1nd whL·ther they

### will de\'clop asrhnw symprnm:;; too. And I hon·c- it

### T~1ke Rc1chctel Lctnirc :-..1urphy. She hcts l\\'0 children with

### <t~thma. She lin·s in

### Mctssachusett~, where \Vind

### 01rrent~ carry pollutctnts front power plants- m;my ofwhich cue in other

### stclte~- into her community·, forming

### ~mog. Her daughter Mi<1 hct.:> such scH:re

### a~thm;1 that last\·ear blood \'Csseb in her eyes hurst from the conghing. Mict regularly hc-ts to t·,tkc

### 5~day courses of::::tcroid:::: for her <lsthmc-t, which Gll!St nightmmcs, outbursts, 

### cmd uncontrolL1ble

### te<:~rs. Rctchc1el sc1ys, andl quote: "clemting up c1ir pollution from coal

### firL~d power phnts would han· <'I tremendous impact on my children's 

### health."
()r, tctke Chcmdra

### Bc1ldwin~\X'oods, whose

### ~on, ]oY<tnte, had <1

### ~L'Yere asthm<-1 attack almost nvo years <tf,;O ctt home in Ohiu and died cH age 

### \6. He was one ofthe more thctn 

### 3,000 people who die of

### a~thmctn·er:.' yc;n. JoY<Hlte was an athlete who hctd Sl!Hered from

### <~~thm<:t since he wets c-1 haby. His sudden cHt<Kk which 

### led to his death, is a horror

### tt~ contunplatc. Chandrc1 ::=.ctys, cmd I quote, '(air polh!tion Ultlses asthma <HtclCks and cuts ::::hort the lives ofthose we ilWC mo::<t."
l)ur blog

### i~ full ofstories from Ch<:1ndm, Rachael, cmd so tn<tny others. We need to

### do en:r:.:thing

we can to prevent children like JoYcnlte from dyinp-; to preYent Mic1\ next seyere ·,l,'ithmc-1 attctck; to preYent the damc1gc smog

### cause~ inside my children's lung,..;. Reducing cnbon pollution is a critical step towcud protecting their hec1lth.

l)ur electric tttilitie.s claim that they'ye giyen tJ:-- chec1p electricity. Rut for Jm·<tnte's mom, it could
not haH' been more cxpensiYe.
"\1oms h:-n·e ·,t lot ofexperience cletning 

### up

### mes~cs. We know that most children won't dean 

### up their messes on their own. Neither will our power pLmts. Uur

### children de,..;erYe 

### a 'Adl,regulated dcctric power industry that produces electricity from dean sources, without llcsrabilizing the climate, increasing

### ~mog lcYels and associated rcspinlto"f':.' he<Jhh problems, and causing other gra\·e health effect:::: of

### gloh<~l**wcumin~.** It's the EPA\jPb 

### ro

### ~ct the 

### rules

### th~1t will giYe us the 

### clt::rm and sc1fe power industry c1l1 Amcricms- ·,wd cspeL·i<lliy our children- dcserYc.

### Plca.~c firuli:e the Carbon Pollution St;mdard for the sc1ke ofour childn.·n. Thank you for your titnt.'.