Testimony of Molly Rauch, MPH 

Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force 

Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for Ne\V Power Plants 

~>Standard of Perfonnancc for Greenhouse Gas Etnissions for Nc\v Stationarr· Sources: Electric 

Utility Generating Units" 

Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-201 Hl660 

May 24, 2012 

\Vashington, DC 

( Jood clfternonn, I'm Molly Rauch. I lin: in \Xlashingron, DC. I <1m speaking tocby c1s a 

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

chughtcr turned 9 just ycstercby, 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 of EPA's proposed carbon 

ruks. 

Moms C!cc1n Air Force i." a community of moms unite-d by concern m·er the etfccts of c1ir 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 of breathing dirty c1ir. \Xle know that in its mc1ny (orms, ctir poilution hc1::-; been linked 

to the lll<ljor hco1lth problem::-; of our 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 of these 

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 of more than 8,00() members of Moms Clean Air 

Force in support uf rhL' 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' of rhe 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, 1 wa:-; 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 of the 

cuuntr\' c:1n h<1rm nur lungs cmd trigger ctsthma attacks. lkGlUSC of my V\'heezing, I exercise k:;;s. I 

.:;pend !c:-;s tilll'--' out.-; ide 'kith my children; ;Uicl, of course, I am L:onccrned abonr when 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 of which 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 of the 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 of those we ilWC mo::<t." 

l)ur blog i~ full of stories 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 of experience 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 of our childn.·n. Thank you for your 

titnt.'.