Testimony from

Brian D. Banks Maryland Resident & Concerned Father To the United State Environmental Protection Agency

On the Carbon pollution Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources:

Electric utility Generating Units

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602

July 30 th , 2014 Washington, DC

Good Afternoon, my name is Brian Banks, and my day job is working for The American Lung Association as the Director of Advocacy for the Healthy Air Campaign. I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today in support of the Clean Carbon Plan. As you have heard yesterday and today the American Lung Association strongly supports EPA's common sense commitment to reducing carbon pollution in order to protect public health of all people in our country. During EPA testimony we have listened to several witnesses that have intelligent and well researched arguments on the importance of this rule and the many reasons we believe EPA has made the right decision in proposing the Clean Carbon Plan. The science is clear and supports the need for the Clean Carbon Plan. After all this plan is for all people, and for that matter the wellbeing of every person in this room. We all breathe, and in order to live we require air, and we have the right to good quality clean air. Clean air supports good health which we cannot argue against, the fact is a person living a healthy life will have a better opportunity to remain productive in our society. Our air quality has improved due to the Clean Air Act, however despite progress there is still need for improvement. Those who want to block, weaken or delay this rule are working against the health of America's children, senior citizens, our neighbors and our friends. Blocking clean air protections hurts those suffering from breathing disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and COPD to name a few. Today, I would like to take a step away from the statistics we have heard and speak to you not only as an employee of the American Lung Association but as a father of a 14 years old boy, we both enjoy spending time outdoors fishing, crabbing, sailing, exercising, playing basketball or just taking a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. The thought of knowing that the lungs of my son may have been harmed because we like spending time outdoors all over our state of Maryland is not only scary it is not fair to him or I. AIl people are breathing in the pollution from power plants. And this pollution is affecting the health of our communities across the United States.Cleaning up carbon pollution can help cut the ozone smog and particle pollution we are all breathing

deep into our lungs. I enjoy the outdoors for all it offers, but now it is offering me the chance to poison myself by breathing in nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, exposing my lungs to dangerous ozone levels and eating fish contaminated with mercury. I am in overall good health, despite my health I am at risk because I live in a county that received a poor air grade, my son is a risk because of the same reason, and the children around the country who will one day lead us are at risk. I speak for everyone when I say we demand the right to breathe good quality air. I ask did you know more than half of our country live in a county with poor air quality? I not only know this fact, I live in a county that the American Lung Association's Sate of the Air gives a grade of F for high ozone days, and a C for high particle pollution. Do I move away from my home? The saying goes you can run but you can't hide. And based on the scientfic facts this holds true without any doubt. It would be difficult to remove myself and family from a poor air quality area. Quite frankly it scares me that our country is being dominated by pollutants that cause difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, and premature death. And that climate change is making it harder to clean up pollution. However there is hope in the Clean Carbon Plan. This plan is well overdue and though it can be improved it has the formula to lead us all into a place where there will not be a second though about breathing. Thank you for the opportunity to present my testimony, I am looking forward to the final rule.