Testimonyfor EPA hearing on Clean Power Plan -july2014 Presented byAdrianna Quintero, senior attorneyat NRDC and founder/director ofVoces Verdes

Good morning and thankyou for the opportunityto provide my comments. My name is Adrianna Quintero and I'm a senior attorney atthe Natural Resources Defense Council, and founder ofVoces Verdes, a national coalition of Latino leaders from business, civic and civil rights, medical and public health sectors, as well as organizational partners representing over 5 million Latinos nationwide. Voces' leaders advocate for action to combat climate change and support clean energy. As the director ofVoces, I'm here to express strong supportforthe Clean Power Plan. Our partners recently submitted a letter ofsupportforthe Clean Power Plan urging EPA to finalize the strongest carbon pollution standard for existing power plants, to address the main cause of climate change and protect our health from the devastating impacts ofextreme weather. We have an obligation to protect our children and future generations from climate change byaddressing its causes-including carbon pollution from power plants. In the US, these plants are responsible for nearly40% ofthe carbon pollution that is driving climate change. While we currently protect public health with limits on arsenic, lead, mercury, soot and other pollution from power plants, there are no existing national limits on carbon pollution. That's not safe. It must change. Nationally, nine in 10 Latinos want the government to take action against the dangers ofclimate change. Additionally, 8 in 10 Latinos want the governmentto curb carbon pollution that drives climate change. This support holds across party lines with 54

# .. percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of Independents supporting presidential action. In Florida, one ofthe states mostthreatened byflooding and other impacts ofclimate change, almost 7 in 10 Latinos support the Clean Power Plan and 8 in 10 believe there should be limits on how much carbon pollution a power plant can release. This plan would also avoid up to: 6,600 premature deaths each year; 150,000 asthma attacks for children; 3,300 heart attacks; and 490,000 missed days ofwork or school by 2030. For Latinos, these health impacts cannot be underestimated since 90% live in metropolitan areas, and 1 in 2 live in a state that doesn't meet airqualitystandards for ozone and air pollutants. As a result, Hispanic children are three times more likelythan non-Hispanic white children to live in an area below airand ozone quality standards, and are almosttwice as likelyto be admitted to the hospital for asthma. For our leaders, the proposed clean power plan is not onlyabout protecting our community's health but also about unleashing a tremendous economic potential. In our leadership coalition, 16are business leaders and owners who recognize this as an opportunityto preserve our environment while also being good for business. This plan is good for our environment, our health and oureconomy; and will create incentives for entrepreneurs to enterthe clean energyand efficiency space. I am also here as the mother oftwo children. We have the facts: scientists, governments, and health activists have been making the connections foryear and sadly our children will paythe price ofour faiIure to act.This incessant political debate around proven climate science fueled bythose who have put theirfinancial interests before ourwell-being must stop. While theyworry about lost revenue we mustworry about:

• increases in infectious diseases

• increases in rates ofchild asthma
• geopolitical instability
• food shortages and increased povertyand inequality health costs of increased natural disasters such as super storms, drought, and hurricanes All ofthese are already impacting us and will impactfuture generations even more greatly.

It's vitally importantthatwe rally ourfriends, colleagues and families to raise theirvoices in support ofthis historic effort and I am committed to doingjust that.
Again, thank you for the opportunityto testify. I am counting on the EPA to establish clear and strong standards for carbon emissions from newand existing power plants.