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 30th, 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.