US EPA Carbon Pollution Standard Public Hearing May 24, 2012 Jessica Christy Thank you for allowing me to speak on carbon emission limits. I appreciate your time. There is a certain saying in my house that ifyou get the cadence and the rhythmjustright, will elicit a smile from my husband, my oldest son, and me. Itgoes like this: "no momma, no momma, no momma, no!" You can even do a little dance. I'm sure you're wondering what that has to do with setting limits on carbon emissions. Let me tell you. My name is Jessica Christy and I live in Washington, DC with my husband andthree children, ages 3, 18 months, and ten. My oldest son has struggled with asthmafor approximately the past seven years and that is really the reason I am here to testify on behalfoflimiting carbon emlSSlOnS. Currently, my son'sasthma is well controlled; we visit the doctorevery three months like clockworkin orderto ensure his asthma maintenance medication is working like it should, we get refills for his emergency medications, and discuss ways to minimize his triggers. However, there was a time when his asthmawas not so well controlled and we have been in the hospital overnight onmore than one occasion. One ofthose times. his worst asthma attack is an especially vivid memory for me. My second child, James Francis wasjusttwo weeks oldatthe time andZachary began having some trouble breathing

...he had a dry, unproductive cough and I could see his skin sink down in between his ribs with each breath, retractions is what I later learned that is called. His doctor's oftice sent him to the emergencyroom after several nebulizer treatments failed to raise his oxygen levels. The ER admitted him to the hospital overnight when several more treatments failed to raise his oxygenlevels to normaL My husband stayed overnight with our son. The next afternoon, I brought ourtwo-week-old, who was nursing, to the hospital so that my husband could go home and shower and brush his teeth. Bythe time my husbandreturned to the hospital, the decision was made that Zachary needed to stay another night and he had also gotten a roommate, another boy around 5years old. Around I0 that evening, the other boy's mother showed up at the room. inciting around ofdemands on the part ofthe boy, her meeting those demands with soothing words. and him finally shouting out, "No momma, no momma, no momma, no!" for the nextten minutes until the nurse finally entered the room and suggestedturning offthe lights. I'm able to smile thinking about it now, but in the moment, I was terrified. After watching my son sleeping after he had been on albuterol treatments for several hours, it became clearjust how much ofa struggle it was for him to takejusta small breath in and out. I have the peak flow meter from that hospital visit, and I have no problem getting the ball into the green zone every time. When my son was at his worst, he was barely able to make it out ofthe red zone. Youcan clearly see howdeeply Zachary's asthma has affected me, and it is a constant part of our lives.But let me tell you about another vivid memory ofmine. DuringThanksgiving of2007, before this trip to the hospital, Zachary, my husband, and l took a three-day trip to the FloridaKeys. It was an amazing trip. We drove the Overseas Highway from Miami down to mile marker0. The next day, we took a boattrip to a small chainofislands 70 miles west ofKey West calledDry Tortugas. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about and appreciate both Civil War erahistory as well as the fascinating ecosystem that is a corral reef. We toured the fort and snorkel in the surrounding corral reefs. Other visitors gota permitand were able to camponthe beach. Now the trip wasn'tall good. I didn't appreciate the roosters who startedcrowing at 3amafter the bars closed and, ifl had the choice, Iwouldhave passed on watching several people onthe boat get seasick due to roughwaters, but I wouldn'ttrade those memories for anything. And it's memories like our trip to Dry Tortugas that I'dlike to continue to make with my family. And that is why I am asking you to limit carbon emissions, so I don't have to start panicking as soon as I hearthat dry, unproductive cough. Please help me protectmy children's growing lungs, James Francis and Mary Barretthave neverexperiencedthe difficulty breathing that comes from an asthma attack and I'dliketo try andkeep it that way. Iknow I cannotprotect my children from all harm, but I am depending onthe EPA to help me protect my children's lungs from harmful carbonemissions. Please put the health ofmy children and children across the US first when setting limits oncarbon emissions. Thank you, JessicaChristy Washington, DC jessicamaechristy@gmail.com 303-618-5478