Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0331-0044
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2022-08-01T04:00Z

1

  2	UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY

  3	PUBLIC HEARING

  4	THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2022

                                        5

                                        6

                                        7

  8	For Consideration of Three Separate Waiver

  9	Requests from the California Air Resources

 10	Board (CARB) Regarding its Heavy-Duty

 11	Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations

                                       12

                                       13

                                       14

                                       15

                                       16

                                       17

                                       18

                                       19
                                       
  1	INDEX OF SPEAKERS

  2	***	***	***

                                 3	SPEAKER	PAGE

                               4	ANNA VANDERSPEK	7

                              5	JESSICA ENZMANN	11

                                6	JORDAN BRINN	13

                                 7	ALOK DISA	18

                                 8	JAQI COHEN	21

                                9	AMANDA SACHS	23

                               10	BILL BRADLEE	26

                              11	JEFFREY GROSS	29

                           12	CHARLES ROTHENBERGER	31

                             13	RACHEL PATTERSON	34

                          14	THOMAS REGAN-LEFEBVRE	38

                               15	ERIN KELESKE	40

                                16	TOM BECKER	43

                             17	STUART LIEBOWITZ	48

                             18	SUSAN HENDERSHOT	49

                            19	MICHELLE UBERUAGA	53

                              20	JEFFREY CLARKE	58

                               21	ANDREW PLACE	62

                              22	KELLY CRAWFORD	64

                                23	JOHN CLARK	69

                         24	ANNE MELLINGER-BIRDSONG	72
                                       
  1	INDEX OF SPEAKERS CONTINUED

  2	***	***	***

                                 3	SPEAKER	PAGE

                               4	MELISSA RAMOS	79

                             5	JESSICA MENGISTAB	83

                      6	ANITA SEITZ (FOR GEORGE MARLIN)	87

                                 7	TIM GOULD	90

                            8	DEBRA HIGBEE-SUDYKA	93

                      9	CARYN POTTER (FOR ANGELA DYKEMA)	97

                            10	DOUGLAS GREENHAUS	100

                       11	ESTEFANY CARRASCO-GONZALEZ	105

                          12	JUAN CARLOS GUARDADO	107

                            13	RODRIGO GONZALEZ	110

                             14	JAYLA ATKINSON	115

                            15	MELISSA IACHETTA	118

                               16	NICOLE RICE	121

                              17	THERAL GOLDEN	125

                                18	ANA RAMOS	127

                         19	CERTIFICATE OF REPORTER	133
                                       
  1	VIRTUAL HEARING

  2	THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2022

  3	12:00 p.m. EST

  4	THE MODERATOR:	I'm Jessie Mroz and I would

  5	like to welcome you back or welcome you to the EPA

  6	Public Hearing on California Heavy-Duty Waiver

  7	Requests.

  8	In order to accommodate testimony in both

  9	Spanish and English throughout this hearing, all

 10	attendees must select their preferred language via the

 11	interpretation icon at the bottom of your screen.

 12	If you are providing testimony today, please

 13	make sure that you are speaking the language of the

 14	channel you are listening to.	For example, listening

 15	to English while speaking Spanish could prevent other

 16	participates from hearing your statement in the

 17	language of their choice.

 18	Closed captions will be available throughout

 19	today's hearing via the closed caption icon at the

 20	bottom of your screen.	Please note that all

 21	attendees' microphones are muted and cameras are

 22	turned off automatically.	Please be respectful with

 23	your comments.	We don't anticipate any problems here,

 24	but note that if you use profanity or inappropriate

  1	In order to keep the process fair for

             2	everyone, we will allow everyone no longer than five

  3	minutes to speak.	There will be an on-screen timer

  4	for those of you who are online.	And if there is

  5	anyone who's joining us by phone, I'll give you a

  6	30-second warning when you need to wrap up.

                 7	If you exceed your time, we may need to turn

             8	off your microphone.	It is nothing personal, we just

  9	want to be sure that everyone has an equal opportunity

 10	to speak today.

 11	We will display the list of registered

 12	speakers arranged by panel so you know when it is your

 13	turn to speak.	If you are speaking today, you will

 14	receive a notification on your screen that you are

 15	being promoted to the role of panelist shortly prior

 16	to your speaking time.	You must click to accept that

 17	invitation to be able to unmute when you are called to

 18	testify.	This will also allow you to turn on your

 19	camera, which we encourage you to do should you be

 20	comfortable doing so.	Speakers connected by telephone

 21	should unmute their phones by pressing Star-6 when

 22	called to testify.

 23	When called upon, please state your name and

 24	any affiliation and then begin your testimony.	If you

              1	registered to speak but would like to do so, please

  2	send an E-Mail to MROZ.JESSICA@EPA.gov.

                  3	I will pass it along open to Mr. Karl Simon

  4	for any additional opening remarks.

  5	MR. SIMON:	Thank you, Jessie.	And welcome.

             6	Good afternoon and good morning to all participating

  7	in today's hearing.

  8	As Jessie noted, this is a continuation from

  9	yesterday's Public Hearing for Notice of Waivers that

 10	California has submitted to EPA for our consideration.

 11	There are three Waivers being discussed in the Federal

 12	Register Notice that announced this hearing and

 13	announced our public comment process.	Those Waiver

 14	dockets for comments are listed above in the, in the

 15	screen you see before you.

 16	So if people are interested in submitting

 17	written comments, you should reference those docket

 18	numbers to make sure they get to the right place.

 19	I will not repeat the opening statement that

 20	we made yesterday.	Just to note that I will be the

 21	Presiding Officer.	We greatly appreciate your

 22	testimony today and would ask that you do try to keep

 23	to the five minutes.

 24	Please make sure you are speaking as slowly

  1	keep up with this and so everybody can understand

  2	what's being said real time.

  3	Also that we will have a number of EPA folks

  4	on screen here as well and we may ask a question of a

              5	participant.	But I think in the interest of time we

  6	will, I think, go through the hearing comment process

  7	here today.	The written comments are due to the

              8	agency by August 2nd.	Again, you can send those to

  9	the docket listed on the screen at the top.

 10	I think with that let's start with our first

 11	panel.

 12	THE MODERATOR:	We're now going to continue

 13	our Virtual Public Hearing.	Again, we ask each person

 14	to limit their verbal testimony to five minutes.

 15	Please speak slowly and clearly so that the court

 16	reporter and interpreters can accurately capture your

 17	testimony.	If you can not get through your prepared

 18	remarks in the five minutes allowed by speaking more

 19	slowly, you are welcome to submit that to the docket

 20	listed on this screen for consideration.

 21	I will be calling on each speaker one at a

 22	time in the order displayed on the screen.	Our first

 23	speaker this afternoon will be Anna Vanderspek.

 24	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

              1	name is Anna Vanderspek.	I am the Electric Vehicle

             2	Program Director at Green Energy Consumers Alliance.

  3	Green Energy Consumers Alliance is a 501(c)(3)

              4	nonprofit organization working across Massachusetts

  5	and Rhode Island to harness the power of energy to

  6	speed the transition to a low carbon future.	Our

  7	consumer programs and advocacy work cover clean

             8	electricity, clean heating and clean transportation.

  9	I would like to first thank you, the EPA, for this

 10	opportunity to provide comments.

 11	I am speaking today to urge the EPA to grant

 12	California's Waivers Request in full, particularly for

 13	the Advanced Clean Trucks and Omnibus Low NOx

 14	Regulation, and HDO.

 15	I'm here specifically because both

 16	Regulations will be critical to our two state's

 17	ability to meet other statutory greenhouse gas

 18	emission reduction requirements and to meet our public

 19	health objectives.	Our states need ACT and HDO for

 20	two reasons.	First, these two Standards are critical

 21	for mitigating climate change, bettering public health

 22	and addressing racial inequities.	Massachusetts and

 23	Rhode Island both have statutory requirements to

 24	reduce greenhouse gas emissions.	By 2030,

  1	reductions and Rhode Island 45 percent.	In both

              2	states transportation is the largest contributor of

             3	greenhouse gases and trucks are the worst offenders.

                  4	For example, in Massachusetts, medium- and

  5	heavy-duty vehicles make up only 7 percent of vehicles

  6	on the road but account for much larger percentage of

  7	our transportation emissions.	Twenty percent of

  8	greenhouse gas emissions, 46 percent of NOx emissions

  9	and 40 percent of particulate matter.

 10	The health burden of these emissions is not

 11	equally distributed.	Geographically, the places with

 12	the highest particulate matter emissions from diesel

 13	vehicles like Springfield, New Bedford, Worchester,

 14	Brockton, Greater Boston and Lowell also have the

 15	highest asthma rates in the state.	And across the

 16	state people of color of the heaviest burden.	For

 17	example, people of color in Massachusetts have a 15-

 18	to 26-percent higher exposure to particulate matter

 19	than the state average.	White residents, in contrast,

 20	are exposed to 7 percent less particulate matter than

 21	average.

 22	Secondly, ACT and HDO bring benefits to fleet

 23	operators and society at large.	At Green Energy

 24	Consumers, we educate thousands of consumers every

  1	including fuel cost savings and maintenance savings

  2	and these operational benefits hold true for fleet

  3	operators, too.	The fleet operators we work with want

  4	to electrify but are being held back by lack of

  5	inventory.	All together, according to M.J. Bradley

  6	and the Union of Concerned Scientists, the adoption of

  7	the Clean Trucks Rules and resulting cleaner air could

  8	save at least $753 million and possibly more than 2

  9	billion in health costs by 2050.	And that's all in

 10	Massachusetts specifically.

 11	Naysayers will say that this transition is

 12	too fast and that the technology is not ready.

 13	However, Bloomberg New Energy Finance in its latest EV

 14	Outlook Report noted that the market for electric

 15	medium- and heavy-duty trucks are set to accelerate in

 16	the coming years with a quote, some of the largest

 17	global truck makers targeting between 35 and

 18	60 percent of their annual sales to meet Zero-Emission

 19	and primarily all electric by 2030.

 20	Massachusetts and Rhode Island are both

 21	relatively small states.	Alone we cannot move the

 22	market for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles towards

 23	electrification fast enough.	Multi-state

 24	collaboration will be critical to clean up the sector.

  1	climate requirements depends on our ability to adopt

  2	standard like ACT and HDO.	Therefore, we urge the EPA

  3	to approve California's request in full.

  4	We will be submitting written comments on

  5	this matter as well.	But thank you for this

  6	opportunity to speak before you today.

  7	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  8	Our next speaker will be Jessica Enzmann.

  9	State your name and affiliation for the record.

 10	MS. ENZMANN:	My name is Jessica Enzmann.	I

 11	am representing the Sierra Club.

 12	My name is Jessica Enzmann.	And I'm

 13	testifying on behalf of the Sierra Club of New York.

 14	We represent over 125,000 members and supporters in

 15	New York and over 4 million across the country.	We

 16	express our strong support of the Advanced Clean Truck

 17	Rule.	Last year we were intimately involved in

 18	supporting rural New York by submitting technical

 19	comments, meeting with our's state Department of

 20	Environmental Control and submitting over 1300

 21	comments from our New York grass roots supporters.

 22	While people often speak about how the

 23	climate crisis will impact future generations, the

 24	reality is we're experiencing impacts of climate

              1	immediate action this year to clamp down on climate

  2	driven emissions.	Our transportation sector

  3	contributes to 28 percent of all greenhouse gas

              4	emissions in the state and the numbers are steadily

  5	rising.

                   6	A shocking reality is in New York all the

              7	medium- and heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and

  8	buses account for only 12 percent of all vehicles on

              9	the road, they are responsible for the bulk of the

 10	toxic air pollution.	Fifty-two percent of nitrogen

 11	oxide emissions and nearly 45 percent of particulate

 12	matter are produced by the entire transportation

 13	sector.	These air pollutants harm the health of

 14	communities, especially frontline communities of

 15	color.	No community in New York or across the country

 16	should be a sacrifice zone for the movement of goods.

 17	Adopting the ACT rule in New York will

 18	directly result in huge heath, economic and climate

 19	benefits including preventing 237 premature deaths,

 20	over 155,000 lost work days from respiratory illness

 21	annually and slash greenhouse gas emissions by 64

 22	million metric tons.

 23	New York has promulgated this rule and is

 24	ready to save lives.	Incredibly valuable benefits

  1	the country if California's Waiver Request is not

  2	granted.

  3	Electric trucks save lives.	The ACT rule and

  4	other clean truck rules are life saving and must be

  5	implemented immediately.	EPA must fully grant

  6	California's Waiver Requests for states like to New

  7	York to address the compelling and extraordinary air

  8	quality issues.

  9	Thank you so much for your time and

 10	consideration.

 11	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 12	As a reminder, please speak slowly and

 13	clearly so the court reporter and the interpreters can

 14	accurately capture your testimony.	If you can not get

 15	through your prepared remarks in the five minutes

 16	allowed by speaking more slowly, you are welcome to

 17	submit that to the dockets listed on the screen for

 18	our consideration.

 19	The next speaker is being Jordan Brinn.

 20	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

 21	MS. BRINN:	Hello, my name is Jordan Brinn.

 22	I am here today on behalf of the Natural Resources

 23	Defense council.	I'm speaking today on behalf of the

 24	NRDC's over 3 million members and activists to urge

             1	Requests for the Heavy-Duty Low NOx Omnibus Rule, the

             2	Advanced Clean Trucks, Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle,

  3	and Zero-Emission Powertrain certification

  4	Regulations, and the Heavy-Duty Emission Warranty

  5	Regulation Amendments.

  6	Even though only 10 percent of vehicles on

  7	U.S. roads are medium- and Heavy-Duty trucks, they are

             8	responsible for majority of hazardous air pollutants

  9	and nearly 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from

 10	the transportation sector.	This pollution is

 11	disproportionately burdens low-income communities and

 12	communities of color and leads to deadly diseases such

 13	as asthma, cardiac impairments and cancer.

 14	To address the deadly air pollution caused by

 15	medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, California is leading

 16	the nation of developing a suite of clean truck

 17	standards.	This includes life-saving regulations such

 18	as ACT, Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty Omnibus

 19	or Omnibus Rules.

 20	In California alone, Omnibus and ACT

 21	Regulations are estimated to reduce NOx emissions by

 22	about 400,000 tons from 2024 to 2050, which translates

 23	to approximately 5,500 avoided premature deaths and

 24	approximately 4,500 avoided hospitalizations.

  1	benefits pursuant to Section 177 of the Clean Air Act,

           2	five states have adopted California's more stringent

             3	truck emission standards to address their unique air

              4	pollution challenges.	The initial states to adopts

  5	one or both ACT and Omnibus Rules include

  6	Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and

  7	Washington.

                  8	If all of the states ultimately adopt those

              9	standards, which they are on track to do, they will

 10	collectively reduce NOx emissions by one million

 11	metric tons.	And more states are poised to adopt the

 12	Rules this year and next which will give them leverage

 13	to secure more investment for charging infrastructure

 14	on high-quality in-state jobs.	For example, after New

 15	Jersey adopted the ACT Rule, their Board of Public

 16	Utilities initiated a proceeding on the medium- and

 17	heavy-duty charging infrastructure.

 18	In addition to their substantial public

 19	health benefits, both the ACT and the Omnibus Rules

 20	are rooted in extensive research, analysis and

 21	stakeholder outreach.	Consequently, both rules are

 22	cost effective and technologically feasible and do not

 23	rely on additional polices to be successful.

  1	emissions experts to identify emission standards that

  2	are cost effective and achievable with current

  3	technologies.	Some manufacturers are already

  4	delivering trucks that meet the 2024 Standards and

  5	extensive testing at the Southwest Research Institute

  6	is proving that even greater emissions reductions can

  7	be achieved at minimal cost today.

  8	Using proven technologies, the Rule will

  9	deliver significant criteria pollution reductions from

 10	new combustion engines during certification, and

 11	ensure heavy-duty vehicles continue to control

 12	emissions throughout their useful life.

 13	For the ACT Rule, electric trucks are no

 14	longer a figment of the future.	Today, there are

 15	dozens of medium- and heavy-duty electric truck models

 16	either already available or coming to market in the

 17	next few years.	For medium- and heavy-duty -- for

 18	medium vehicles, such as pickup trucks and delivery

 19	vans, 27 companies are manufacturing 48 different

 20	models.	For heavy-duty vehicles, such as

 21	tractor-trailers and garbage trucks, 17 companies are

 22	manufacturing 29 different models.

 23	However, the pace of Zero-Emission vehicle

              1	California and across the country.	The ACT Rule is

              2	vital to helping accelerate the ongoing transition.

  3	Finally, both ACT and Omnibus Rules have

  4	built-in flexibilities designed to ensure manufacturer

             5	compliant and accommodate external pressures such as

  6	pandemic induced supply chain disruptions.	For

  7	example, the ACT Rule accounts for unforeseen

           8	macroeconomic events by basing manufacturers' annual

  9	electrical vehicle sales requirements on overall sales

 10	from that year.	If the supply chain issues persist,

 11	sales requirements will be increased to reflect

 12	production challenges.	Meanwhile, the Omnibus Rule

 13	employs an averaging, banking and trading system that

 14	provides a high degree of compliance flexibility while

 15	ensuring the maximum emission reductions achievable.

 16	In conclusion, failing to approve the three

 17	Waiver Requests before you today goes against decades

 18	of precedent and will deny states the ability protect

 19	their residents from harmful air pollution.	We urge

 20	you to grant the Waiver Request fully.

 21	Thank you.	I appreciate the opportunity to

 22	comment today.

                  1	MR. DISA:	Hi and good afternoon.	And thank

             2	you to the EPA for the opportunity to provide comment

  3	on day two of this public hearing.	My name Alok Disa,

  4	a senior research and policy analyst with EarthJustice

  5	in our Northeast Regional Office.

  6	I want to start by acknowledging we have

  7	heard from a lot of advocates from around the country.

  8	The message being delivered to EPA is overwhelming and

  9	clear:	It is essential to grant these three Waivers

 10	in full.

 11	I also want to acknowledge this morning's

 12	unfortunate Supreme Court decision which will make it

 13	harder for the Federal government to address air

 14	pollution and climate change.	That makes it that much

 15	more important that the EPA uphold its previous

 16	precedent and acts to preserve the ability of the

 17	states to set health protective vehicle emission

 18	standards for states like New York that suffer from

 19	severe and persistent air quality problems.

 20	Flexibility to go above federal standards to regulate

 21	vehicle emissions and particularly medium- and

 22	heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses is a

              1	standards were set back in 2008.	Exposure to ozone

  2	can cause a range of adverse respiratory health

  3	outcomes, the burdens of which fall disproportionately

  4	on black and brown communities in New York state and

  5	nationally.	Ozone can exacerbate asthma symptoms.

              6	And incidentally, New York state is home to five of

  7	the top 50 most challenging cities to live with asthma

  8	according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundations,

  9	Asthma Capitals Reports.

 10	The New York State Department of Health has

 11	declared asthma to be an epidemic in the state with

 12	New Yorkers of color suffering asthma attacks and

 13	hospitalizations at higher rates than state and county

 14	averages.	Reducing ozone is, therefore, an important

 15	public health issue.

 16	And the air quality problems that New York

 17	and the region suffer from, these or persistent

 18	problems and trucks and buses are the main culprit.

 19	For example, the Ozone Transport Commission has

 20	actually found that electrified trucks and buses would

 21	be an important air quality strategy for the region.

 22	To that end, New York state has acted opting into the

  1	critical pillar of the state's climate roadmap, a

  2	necessary component to meet the state's binding

              3	emission limits.	The ACT Rule has been projected to

  4	significantly expand electric truck adoption compared

  5	to a baseline scenario without the Rule in place.

  6	These benefits accrue immediately in terms of

  7	electric trucks on the road, reduced ozone,

  8	particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions and

  9	improved public health outcomes.	For example, by

 10	2025, one analysis found that there will be 23 times

 11	more electric trucks on the road with ACT in place

 12	compared to the scenario without ACT in place.	The

 13	same analysis found by 2050, fleet-wide NOx emissions

 14	from the entire medium and heavy-duty fleet would be

 15	cut by almost half with ACT in place by 2050.

 16	But, New York state and other states' ability

 17	to enforce this critical rule is threatened.	Any

 18	delay in implementing the ACT Rule will literally cost

 19	the lives of New Yorkers and those burdens will fall

 20	most severely on New Yorkers of color.	This is a

 21	racial justice issue as much as it is an environmental

 22	and public health issue.	The stakes are extremely

  1	provide comment today.

                  2	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  3	As a reminder, if you are speaking today, you

              4	will receive a notification on your screen that you

              5	are being promoted to the role of panelist shortly

  6	prior to your speaking time.	You must click to accept

  7	that invitation to be able to unmute when you are

  8	called to testify.	Please speak slowly and clearly so

              9	the court reporter and interpreters can accurately

 10	capture your testimony.	If you can not get through

            11	your prepared remarks in the five minutes allowed by

            12	speaking more slowly, you are welcome to submit them

 13	to the docket listed on the screen for consideration.

                 14	Our next speaker will be Jaqi Cohen.	State

 15	your name and affiliation for the record.

 16	MS. COHEN:	Thank you for the opportunity to

 17	provide comment today.	My name is Jaqi Cohen.	I'm

 18	the Director of Climate and Equity Policy at Tristate

 19	Transportation Campaign.	Tristate is an advocacy

            20	organization dedicating to fighting for sustainable,

            21	equitable and safer mobility in New York, New Jersey

 22	and Connecticut.

  1	Connecticut, the state is currently working on the

  2	Rules adoption.	We're here to urge the EPA to approve

  3	California the Waiver Request in full.

  4	In all three states that we represent, the

  5	transportation sector still remains the largest

  6	contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.	The tristate

  7	region continues to heavily depend on diesel trucks

  8	and buses which have been an outsized contribution on

  9	emissions despite representing a small fraction of

 10	overall vehicle fleets.

 11	Not only do the emissions from these medium-

 12	and heavy-duty vehicles contribute to the climate

 13	change, but they produce dangerous air pollution

 14	disproportionately harm our frontline communities.

 15	Halting California's Waiver Request to reduce

 16	emissions from the transportation sector will cause

 17	tremendous harm to the millions of people that live

 18	near highways and other high traffic areas in states

 19	across the country.

 20	We're in a climate emergency.	And our region

 21	is faced with the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas

 22	emissions 85 percent and reaching a 100 percent net

  1	impact of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, environmental

  2	justice communities in New York, New Jersey and

  3	Connecticut have been at the front line of climate

              4	crisis that continues to threaten our region.	Clean

             5	Truck Rules are life-saving regulations that must be

  6	implemented immediately to safeguard our nation's most

  7	vulnerable communities; particularly in light of

           8	today's Supreme Court ruling, it has never been more

             9	important for our Federal government allow states to

 10	protect the air quality and the health and livelihood

 11	of their residents.

 12	Simply put, people's lives are on the line.

 13	We're counting on the EPA to issue these Waivers and

 14	uphold President Biden's promise to protect the

 15	American people and fight back against the climate

 16	crisis.	We're counting on you to act.	Thank you.

 17	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 18	The next speaker will be Amanda Sachs.	State

 19	your name and affiliation for the record.

 20	MS. SACHS:	Thank you.	My name is Amanda

 21	Sachs.	And I'm the Legislative and Climate Associate

 22	with Environmental Advocates NY.	I'm testifying as a

  1	of clean air and a stable climate.	Nonetheless, I'm

              2	testifying for an important reason, to urge EPA to

  3	fully grant California's Waiver Request for the

  4	Advanced Clean Truck Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle and

  5	Powertrain Certification Regulations, the Omnibus low

  6	NOx Regulation and Heavy-Duty Emission Warranty

  7	Regulation.

                  8	These mentioned will create standards that

              9	will reduce toxic air pollutants from vehicles and

 10	require manufacturers to produce and sell increasing

 11	numbers of Zero-Emission medium- and heavy-duty

 12	vehicles.	Among other significant winds against

 13	conventional vehicles that choke us, endanger our most

 14	vulnerable, and contribute significantly to climate

 15	change of which we're decades behind on tackling.

 16	The New York Metro area is about to fall out

 17	of attainment with Federal Air Quality Standards.

 18	Forty percent of New Yorkers are living in counties

 19	that scored an F on the American Lung Association's

 20	recent State of the Year report.	Currently, those

 21	suffering the most from diesel and gas vehicles are

 22	located in low income communities and communities of

  1	Advanced Clean Truck Rules alone would eliminate

  2	around 18,000 tons of NOx, 250 tons of pm 2.5, and

  3	17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and

  4	ultimately greenhouse gas emissions.	We need to

  5	ensure that states have the ability to address their

  6	unique air pollution challenges by enforcing

  7	life-saving truck pollution standards, and Federal

  8	standards are simply not enough.

  9	What happens with California determines

 10	whether New Yorkers and everyone in between can

 11	breathe easy.	The EPA should fully approve

 12	California's Waivers Request to enable state

 13	standards, that are the key drivers in advancing the

 14	technologies needed to clean up the legacy of fossil

 15	fuel vehicle pollution.

 16	Thank you for hearing me out today.

 17	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 18	One quick note before our next speaker, if

 19	you are having any technical issues or have not

 20	registered to speak but would with like to, please

 21	send an E-Mail to the E-Mail address listed at the

 22	bottom of the screen which is M-R-O-Z, MROZ.Jessica,

  1	We will get to you later today, we assure you.

  2	Our next speaker will be Jeffrey Gross.

  3	Sorry, our next speaker will be Bill Bradlee.	Please

  4	state your name and affiliation for the record.

                   5	MR. BRADLEE:	Thanks.	I thought you missed

  6	me there.	My name is Bill Bradlee, National

  7	Organizing Director of the nonprofit Interfaith Power

  8	& Light.	Interfaith Power & Light's mission is to

             9	inspire and mobilize people of faith and conscience,

 10	and take bold and just action on climate change.	We

 11	recognize people of all faith and spiritual traditions

 12	share a common bond:	To care for their neighbors on

 13	the planet we all share.	That's our work within Faith

 14	Power & light across the nation.

 15	I'm here today to speak on behalf of my

 16	organization.	But also to speak with our state

 17	affiliates that reach out to more than 22,000

 18	congregations and millions of people of faith across

 19	the country.	I first want to thank you for acting

 20	quickly in support of ACT.	I know that working with

 21	EPA and other agencies for the past couple decades

 22	that your work is difficult and incredibly important.

  1	vehicle pollution and Rules to accelerate the

  2	transition to Zero-Emission vehicles.	While trucks

  3	and buses account for a very small portion of the

  4	vehicles on the road, they create about 25 percent of

  5	the climate pollution.	Makes sense.	They are larger

  6	vehicles, and they are transporting a lot of goods.

  7	At the same time that's an opportunity.	That's an

  8	opportunity to act.	That's an opportunity to address

  9	climate pollution and other kinds of pollution.

 10	Trucks and buses are the fastest growing

 11	source of climate emissions and truck lines of travel

 12	are projected to grow rapidly in the coming years.

 13	Again, pointing to the opportunity here for action.

 14	We talk about gas prices these days a lot.	Every

 15	vehicle that can increase its MPG will reduce oil

 16	consumption and therefore reduce demand and lower

 17	costs.	More importantly in the long term,

 18	electrifying medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be key

 19	to improving air quality and saving lives in our

 20	community with some of the dirtiest air in the nation.

 21	Accelerating the electrification of trucks

 22	and buses is, in fact, an essential step in reducing

  1	other states that adopted California's emission limits

  2	and Zero-Emission targets.

  3	Let's always keep in mind that these rules

  4	target air pollution in the disproportionately harmed

  5	frontline communities living in and around

             6	transportation infrastructure such as warehouses and

  7	freeways.	These communities are predominantly

  8	communities of color and low wealth communities.

  9	Immediate pollution reductions are really a matter of

 10	environmental justice.	That's important for us as

 11	people of faith and conscience to keep front and

 12	center.

 13	For more than 50 years, U.S. states have had

 14	the explicit right granted under the Clean Air Act to

 15	protect the residents' health by choosing clean truck

 16	standards that are safer than the Federal standards.

 17	We see no valid rationale for removing the Waivers,

 18	even in part at this time.

 19	So again, on behalf of the millions of people

 20	of faith and conscience around the country that we

 21	work with, we urge the administration to approve the

 22	Waivers in full to create California the authority to

  1	Thanks very much for the opportunity.

  2	Appreciate you all being here today.

                  3	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

  4	Our next speaker will be Jeffrey Gross.

  5	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

  6	MR. GROSS:	Hello.	My name is Jeffrey Gross.

          7	I'm a member of Sierra Club of Connecticut serving as

  8	lead of the Clean Transportation for all campaigns.

  9	On behalf of Sierra Clubs members and friends, we

 10	thank for the opportunity to provide testimony today.

 11	Connecticut is a Section 177 state and this

 12	summer the Connecticut legislature enacted Senate Bill

 13	4 with a provision that authorizes participation in

 14	the California Advanced Clean Truck program.	I

 15	believe this makes California the seventh Clean Truck

 16	state.	For this we thank our proactive leadership,

 17	our enlightened public representatives and many allied

 18	advocacy groups, some of who are also providing

 19	testimony in this hearing.	We are looking forward to

 20	the day when new trucks will be traversing our

 21	highways with increased emissions including reduced

 22	sound pollution along major corridors, for the need is

  1	Report, quote, Fairfield County remains the most

  2	polluted county in the New York/Newark Metro area and

  3	has the highest ozone readings in the eastern U.S.

  4	With 18.8 days of unhealthy levels of ozone.

  5	Middlesex, New London, Fairfield and New Haven are

  6	communities that have maintained F rates, end quote.

  7	Note that all these communities are along

  8	Connecticut's southern shore with the Long Island

  9	Sound.	Uniquely situated between large economies on

 10	the Atlantic Coast, Connecticut, especially Fairfield

 11	County, is the shortest land route between, for

 12	example, New York City and Boston; resulting in severe

 13	concentration of heavy-duty truck traffic.

 14	We're pleased that New Jersey, New York and

 15	Massachusetts are already signatories of the CARB

 16	initiatives.	And Connecticut is now ready to do our

 17	part and clean up our highways.	But obviously for

 18	this progress to be realized, a timely delegation from

 19	the EPA to CARB is required.

 20	On behalf of Sierra Club members and friends,

 21	I urge the EPA to authorize the Waivers in full so

 22	progress can be made to the states most severely

  1	Our next speaker will be Charles

  2	Rothenberger.	State your name and affiliation for the

  3	record.

  4	MR. ROTHENBERGER:	Thank you very much.	Good

  5	afternoon, my name is Charles Rothenberger.	I am a

  6	Climate and Energy Attorney with Save the Sound, an

  7	environmental nonprofit organization based in

  8	Connecticut and New York.

                   9	Save the Sound urges the EPA to grant the

 10	Federal Waivers for California's request on medium-

 11	and heavy-duty vehicles standards.	These standards

 12	build on California's long and successful history of

 13	developing and implementing robust emission standards

 14	for light-duty vehicles.	Federal law recognizes

 15	California as a leader on vehicle emissions and

 16	explicitly authorizes California to adopt standards

 17	that are more stringent than the minimum Federal

 18	standards and expressly authorizes other states to

 19	adopt California's standard.

 20	EPA is obligated to grant the Waivers for

 21	these programs unless it finds that California was

 22	arbitrary and capricious in its finding that its

  1	that such standards are not consistent with 202 (a) of

  2	the Clean Air Act.

  3	A review of the California standards and the

  4	process of adopting them demonstrates that none of the

  5	grounds for denial are applicable in the instant case.

  6	We know that in addition to producing a disappropriate

  7	share of greenhouse gas emissions, heavy-duty vehicles

  8	are also major emitters of NOx and fine particulate

  9	matter.	Cleaning up those emissions are particularly

 10	important for low and moderate income populations

 11	living in our dense urban communities and along our

 12	major transportation corridors.

 13	Indeed, the Federal government itself has

 14	recognized the need for establishing standards for

 15	medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.	At the direction of

 16	President Biden in March of this year, EPA itself

 17	imposed regulations to reduce pollution from

 18	heavy-duty vehicles citing the number of people

 19	adversely impacted by such emissions and the

 20	disproportionate impact of those emissions on

 21	low-income populations.

 22	However, EPA's standards are, on their face,

             1	these considerations mean that the Federal standards

             2	are in fact less protective of the public health and

  3	welfare than those under consideration today.

  4	The California standards are not only

  5	necessary to address California's air quality issues,

  6	the specifics of which have been testified to by

  7	previous speakers, they establish a path for

             8	additional states including Connecticut and New York

              9	to meet federal air quality standards.	While laying

 10	the groundwork for substantial progress in meeting our

 11	Federal and state climate obligations.	Connecticut,

 12	like California, has consistently failed to meet

 13	Federal Air Quality Standards for ozone.	Three

 14	counties in our state are likely to be reclassified as

 15	severe nonattainment regions soon.

 16	Approval of California's standards will

 17	assume emissions from vehicles as well as ensuring

 18	that the Zero-Emission trucks will be available for

 19	sale and use in our state and that our citizens will

 20	share in the benefits of reduced emissions and cleaner

 21	air.

 22	In Connecticut, the California standards will

  1	nearly 1.5 million metric tons.	Connecticut's

  2	Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has

  3	estimated that adopting the California standards could

  4	save Connecticut residents more than $271 million in

  5	health care costs in 2040.	By 2050, the cumulative

  6	health care costs are estimated at more than

  7	$400 million.

  8	Granting the necessary Waivers for

  9	California's medium- and heavy-duty truck regulations

 10	will result in substantial air quality and health

 11	benefits for California as well as the citizens of

 12	Connecticut and other states that adopt them.	And we

 13	urge you to expeditiously grant the necessary Waivers

 14	as required by the Clean Air Act.

 15	Thank you for the opportunity.

 16	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 17	Our next speaker will be Rachel Patterson.	Please

 18	state your name and affiliation for the record.

 19	MS. PATTERSON:	Good afternoon.	Thank you

 20	for the opportunity to comment today.	I'm Rachel

 21	Patton, multilead at Evergreen Action.	We're a small

 22	nonprofit dedicated to tackling the climate crisis

  1	communications to advance all policies that reduce

  2	pollution and protect communities and the environment.

  3	Which is why we strongly urge the EPA to move forward

  4	in granting California's full Waiver authority for

  5	vehicle emissions.

  6	As we have heard many times over the last two

  7	days, vehicle emissions make up the largest share of

  8	greenhouse emissions in the country.	Medium- and

  9	heavy-duty vehicles make up roughly a third of all

 10	vehicle emissions.	Tailpipe emissions are also the

 11	leading source of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen

 12	oxide and particulate matter that contribute to lung

 13	cancer and heart disease which impact hundreds of

 14	thousands of Americans every year.	We must address

 15	vehicle emissions as expeditiously as possible.

 16	Because that we know that we have the

 17	technology knowledge to do so through rapid deployment

 18	of electric vehicles.	And today, on the heels of a

 19	Supreme Court decision that will hamstring the EPA's

 20	ability to reduce emissions from power sector, is all

 21	the more evidence that vehicle emissions must be

 22	addressed on the fastest possible timeline.

  1	progress on state and national emissions targets.

  2	California is not alone in inspiring to set more

  3	ambitious vehicle emissions reduction targets.

  4	Currently Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon

             5	and Washington have also committed to increasing the

  6	number of E-trucks on the road.	We know that other

  7	states will follow suit if even the opportunity.

  8	Limiting the opportunity to accelerate

             9	pollution reduction is antithetical to the expressed

 10	goals of this Administration and it puts climate

 11	targets at risk and expands the pollution that's

 12	already impacting our most vulnerable communities.	We

 13	can't ignore the fact denying California's Section 177

 14	Waiver will have a disproportionate impact on black,

 15	brown, indigenous and low-income communities

 16	prolonging environmental injustices that account for

 17	illnesses from heavy-duty emissions such as the

 18	development and exacerbation of asthma and other lung

 19	and heart diseases, even including premature death and

 20	that will fall most heavily on communities of color.

 21	These deaths and missed school days and missed work

 22	days could be greatly reduced by using viable,

  1	years, the perpetuation of climate injustice.

                  2	I grew up in San Diego, which is a heavily

  3	trafficked city, one of the most polluted state in the

  4	country.	To get to and from school every day, for all

  5	of middle school and all of high school, my sister and

              6	I have taken hour-long bus rides in each direction.

            7	Unsurprisingly, we both have asthma.	And I've been

  8	lucky that my experience has been mild.	My sister

  9	cannot say the same.	She would often have to miss

 10	school due to asthma attacks.	She would have to stay

 11	home on poor air quality days or was hospitalized

 12	routinely for asthma as a child.	I'll never forget

 13	how devastating it was to visit her at the hospital

 14	and see oxygen tubes in her nose and a machine helping

 15	her lungs to function so she could stay alive.

 16	No child deserves to have this experience,

 17	yet thousands of Americans suffer this way because of

 18	preventable second pollution.	The stakes are just too

 19	high.	Appeasing industry by denying California's

 20	Clean Act Waivers over providing clean and breathable

 21	air for Americans should not be a hard choice.	And

 22	yet here we are urging you to do the right thing.

  1	Thank you for your time and consideration of

  2	my comments today.

                  3	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  4	Our next speaker is Tim Gould.	I can't find

              5	you in the list of attendees.	If Tim, and only Tim,

  6	could please raise his hand so I can find you.	All

            7	right.	I'm going to promote you.	Please state your

  8	name and affiliation for the record.	You may start

  9	your testimony.

 10	Tim Gould may start his testimony now.

 11	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

 12	It looks like we might be running into

 13	mechanical issues.	We'll circle back and I will go to

 14	our next speaker.

 15	Our next speaker is Thomas Regan-Lefebvre.

 16	State your name and affiliation for the record.

 17	MR. REGAN-LEFEBVRE:	Thank you for the

 18	opportunity to testify.	I'm Thomas Regan-Lefebvre.

 19	And I'm from the Center for Latino Progress.	We're a

 20	small grass roots organization and advocate for modes

 21	of transportation which are accessible.	I'm here

 22	today to ask the EPA to issue the California truck

  1	excited about this.	Connecticut has one of the

  2	world's poorer images that it needs to address

  3	especially in our cities which have been divided by

  4	highways.	It is not just a health issue.	It is also

  5	an environmental justice one.	Those who have the list

  6	responsible for emissions are the ones who are the

  7	most likely to be affected by the nature and

  8	consequences of air pollution.

  9	In Connecticut, trucks and buses make up just

 10	6 percent of all on-road vehicles.	However, those big

 11	trucks are responsible for over 50 percent of all smog

 12	forming NOx pollution which can nowhere exist and

 13	imposes breathing problems like asthma and affects the

 14	pulmonary zone.	These big trucks are also responsible

 15	for pollutants also known as fine particulate matter

 16	(unintelligible) from the early days of diesels which

 17	are -- which could be easily be prevented.

 18	(unintelligible) EPA's regular emission testing of

 19	millions of (unintelligible) to save lives especially

 20	in our most vulnerable communities.

 21	The health benefits of obtaining standards

 22	are so great that our own Department of Energy and

  1	We can't wait.	We need immediate action on

  2	this Rule.	We often talk about climate denials, but

  3	what we're fighting today is climate delayers.	Those

  4	who always find an excuse not to act.	And this is why

  5	you will find we urge the EPA not to deny these

  6	Waivers.	Many thanks for your attention.

  7	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  8	Our next speaker will be Erin Keleske.	State

  9	your name and affiliation for the record.

 10	MS. KELESKE:	Thank you for the opportunity

 11	to speak today.	My name is Erin Keleske.	I am a

 12	Government Affairs Fellow to the League of

 13	Conservation voters, a masters candidate at Duke

 14	University Nicholas School for the Environment, and

 15	proud granddaughter of lifelong Teamster Union Truck

 16	driver.

 17	The League of Conservation Voters, or LCV,

 18	builds political power for people in the planet.

 19	Influencing policy, holding politicians accountable

 20	and winning elections.	This is how we fight to build

 21	a better world filed with clean air, clean water,

 22	public land and a safe climate protected by a just and

  1	California's Waiver in full allowing the state to

  2	enact Advanced Clean Truck and Heavy-Duty Omnibus

  3	Rules.

  4	My grandfather drove trucks for over 35 years

              5	nationally for Express Freightline and later within

              6	the state of Wisconsin.	Amidst his long journeys he

             7	saw some of the greatest natural wonders our country

              8	has to offer.	He met people from all walks of life

  9	and still talks about the local diners he found tucked

 10	away in small rural towns.	He also shared stories of

 11	great personal risk; long dangerous nights spent in

 12	truck cabins, and time lost with loved ones.

 13	A 2008 study by UC-Berkeley and Harvard,

 14	found that workers who are regularly exposed to diesel

 15	exhaust, as truck drivers are, exhibit higher

 16	instances of lung cancer and asthma.	These risks

 17	increase with each additional year on the job.	While

 18	these conditions have incrementally improved, now is

 19	the time, now more than ever, to make bold action to

 20	reduce NOx emission from trucks.

 21	My family has deeply felt the sacrifices

 22	truck drivers make to keep this country running.	And

  1	expected to sacrifice their health.

  2	The slate of Regulations proposed by

  3	California will not only protect these essential

  4	workers from poor air quality, they will protect the

  5	tens of millions of Americans who live near high

  6	traffic corridors, these diesel death zones, are

  7	disproportionately home to black, brown, indigenous

  8	and low-income families.	The EPA has a responsibility

  9	to protect these communities who currently bear most

 10	of the negative impacts of NOx pollution.

 11	The Clean Air Act was written with the

 12	express intent of pushing technological innovation.

 13	That's exactly what California and several other

 14	states have done for decades.	Six states have already

 15	enacted the Clean Truck Rule.	Several others have

 16	demonstrated their support for these emission goals

 17	including my current state of North Carolina.	These

 18	commitments are proof that the states want to lead the

 19	climate change on vehicle emissions.	The public is

 20	ready for a transition for a cleaner transportation

 21	future and California is leading the way.

 22	The League of Conservation Voters urge you to

  1	grandfather, and the resilient roadside communities he

  2	spent a lifetime visiting and cherishing.

  3	Thank you very much for your time.

                  4	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  5	At this time we have no other speakers who

  6	are scheduled to speak during this block.	However,

  7	there were a number of speakers that were scheduled

  8	yesterday that were not able to speak.	If any of you

  9	are on and would like to speak today or able to speak

 10	today, please raise your hand.	This is preregistered

 11	speakers who did not get an opportunity to speak

 12	yesterday.

 13	I'm going to call on you in the order -- in

 14	the order I see you.	So I will move Tom Becker over

 15	now.	Give me a moment to -- all right.	Our next

 16	speaker will be Tom Becker.

 17	Please state your name and affiliation for

 18	the record.

 19	MR. BECKER:	Hello.	Can you hear me?

 20	THE MODERATOR:	Yes, we can hear you.

 21	MR. BECKER:	I want to let you know, I

 22	actually just registered about an hour ago.	I don't

  1	accommodate you both.	Go ahead and proceed.

                2	MR. BECKER:	Just want to make sure I'm not

  3	cutting in line.

                   4	Thank you.	My name is Tom Becker.	I live

  5	Middleton, California, which is Santa Barbara County.

             6	Santa Barbara County is the birthplace of the modern

  7	environmental movement.	That happened when we had an

              8	oil blowout in 1969.	And that oil blowout inspired

  9	then President Richard Nixon to create the EPA to

 10	create your jobs.

 11	So I'm an environmentalist, but I am a very

 12	practical environmentalist.	I believe in doing things

 13	the right way, not the wrong way.	Now, I'm speaking

 14	specifically on the Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle.	I

 15	did make comment on the other one, the

 16	Zero-Emission -- Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle was

 17	actually proposed by California Air Resources Board

 18	about a year-and-a-half ago and I submitted comments.

 19	The California Air Resources Board at that time made

 20	absolutely false and misleading statements on the,

 21	price availability, and the utility of electric

 22	shuttle buses.	They made those false statements and

  1	continued making those false and misleading statements

             2	and then submitted false and misleading statements to

  3	the EPA on this issue today.

                 4	This is actually tied to the other issues of

  5	California Waivers specifically the ACC2, uhm, uhm,

              6	proposal that the state of California has.	That was

  7	an Emission Waiver that California just got

  8	reinstated.

                 9	My position on this -- my position on all of

 10	California Waivers is this:	That California cannot be

 11	granted a waiver from the EPA on motor vehicle

 12	emissions without proving and demonstrating that they

 13	have exhausted all their other options available to

 14	them to reduce the atmospheric pollutants they are

 15	trying to control.	The state of California has

 16	absolutely not, and I mean, I repeat, they have not

 17	made any effort to exhaust all of their options.

 18	For instance, they could reduce vehicle miles

 19	traveled in this state, which is something I proposed

 20	and is pending on their 2022 Climate Action Plan of

 21	the California Air Resources Board.	And I proposed

 22	that they reduce vehicle miles traveled in this state

           1	plans.	I've also said that you should increase your

              2	zero or low carbon fuel, liquid fuels by 25 percent

  3	content by 2030 and 50 percent content by 2040.

  4	I've also suggested that the state of

              5	California, especially the Ports of Los Angeles and

              6	Long Beach reduce those operations by 75 percent by

              7	2030.	That means that, one of the ways you do it is

  8	require companies to China, India and other places

  9	that have very high coal burning rates, that those

 10	companies manufacture their products here in the

 11	United States.	And that would reduce the activity at

 12	the port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, and

 13	the Bay area by 75 percent including the truck

 14	traffic.

 15	So before you grant a Waiver to California on

 16	anything, this or their ACC2 Waiver, California must

 17	demonstrate to you -- you have no choice -- they must

 18	demonstrate they have exhausted all other options

 19	available before you grant a Waiver.	So they have to

 20	reduce the vehicle miles traveled.	They have to

 21	reduce the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach

 22	and other port activities.	And they have to increase

  1	a clock in front of me, you just can't give them a

  2	Waiver.	They have to show they made a good faith

  3	effort to reduce their emissions in other ways before

  4	you grant them a Waiver.	That is actually in the law.

  5	It says that they have to demonstrate that they have a

  6	need before --

  7	THE MODERATOR:	Sorry to interrupt, 30 second

  8	warning.

  9	MR. BECKER:	In order to prove they have a

 10	need to get these Waivers -- a need means they have to

 11	prove they have exhausted all their options and they

 12	have no other choice but to get a Waiver.	California

 13	is a long way from exhausting all of their other

 14	options.	And I can go on forever, but this is

 15	docketed, and I'll, I'll -- almost every Waiver

 16	Request they have gotten pending Regulations, Rules

 17	that the California Air Resources Board has right now.

 18	Thank you very much for your time.

 19	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 20	Our next speaker is joined by phone, so I'm

 21	going to allow you to talk.	It may prompt you to

 22	press Star-6 to unmute yourself.	Please go ahead and

  1	accurately capture your comment.

  2	THE WITNESS:

  3	MR. LIEBOWITZ:	My name is Stuart Liebowitz.

  4	I'm with the Douglas County Global Warming Coalition,

  5	in Roseburg, Oregon.	We're an all-volunteer grass

  6	roots organization that has been fighting climate

  7	change for the last 19 years.	And particularly in

  8	light of the recent Supreme Court decision that came

  9	out today limiting the authority of EPA in the utility

 10	sector.	It is more imperative than ever that a Waiver

 11	be granted.	Transportation is the largest contributor

 12	to greenhouse gases in the United States.

 13	What's more important is the fact what

 14	happens in California does not stay in California.

 15	California the model for controlling greenhouse gases

 16	and other pollutants; that this Waiver be granted,

 17	this will impact not only the nation but hopefully

 18	across the globe.

 19	And the other thing I would point out, that

 20	the warning signs already have been given repeatedly

 21	at the UN, that has told us that we must dramatically

 22	decrease our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.	And

  1	time.

  2	MR. BECKER:	This is EPA headquarters in

  3	Washington, DC.

  4	THE MODERATOR:	Mr. Becker, could you please

  5	mute yourself?

  6	Thank you, Mr. Liebowitz, for your testimony.

  7	Mr. Liebowitz, did that conclude your testimony?

  8	Apologies, there was an interruption.

  9	MR. LIEBOWITZ:	Yes.

 10	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for confirming.

 11	At this time our next panel is scheduled to

 12	begin at 1:15 p.m.	But I believe is there anyone from

 13	a panel that is up for the rest of the day that would

 14	be interested in testifying early?	We would be glad

 15	to accept your testimony at this time.

 16	Susan Hendershot raised her hand.	I will

 17	move her over to the role of panelist.

 18	Our next speaker will be Hendershot.	State

 19	your name and affiliation for the record.

 20	MS. HENDERSHOT:	My am is Susan Hendershot.

 21	I'm here with Interfaith Power & Light as President

 22	and ordained clergy person in Christian Church,

  1	of our 40 state affiliates, thousands of faith

  2	leaders, and more than 22,000 congregations that are a

  3	part of our national network urging the Biden

  4	Administration and the EPA to approve California's

  5	Waiver Request in full; allowing the state to create

  6	the strongest possible limits on heavy-duty vehicle

  7	pollution and rules to accelerate transition to

  8	Zero-Emission vehicles.

  9	I live in Northern Virginia and today we are

 10	under a code orange air quality alert from the

 11	Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.	This

 12	means the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups with

 13	the primary pollutants being ozone and particle

 14	pollution.	These pollutants have been linked to

 15	asthma and heart and lung disease especially among

 16	children and those already suffering from health

 17	issues.

 18	Ground level ozone comes from pollution

 19	emitted by the transportation sector, among other

 20	sources.	This is why it is critical to set strong

 21	pollution standards from vehicles.	We need clean air

 22	in order for our families and our communities to

  1	attack on the health and well-being of frontline

  2	communities which are already bearing the

  3	disproportionate burden of air pollution in this

  4	country due to the historical legacy of environmental

  5	racism, redlining and marginalizing of black and brown

  6	communities.

  7	While our Interfaith Power & Light network

  8	includes people of faith, I would like to speak to you

  9	from the perspective of my own tradition, which is

 10	Christianity.	In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has

 11	asked the question, "Teacher, which commandment in the

 12	law is the greatest?"	He answers, "You shall love the

 13	Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

 14	soul and with all your mind.	This is the greatest and

 15	First Commandment."

 16	And the second is like it.	"You shall love

 17	your neighbor as yourself."	Well, I don't believe

 18	that Jesus was speaking directly to the issue of air

 19	pollution, I do believe that he was pushing us to

 20	answer the question, "Who is my neighbor?"	Is my

 21	neighbor the one that lives next to a diesel death

 22	zone?	My answer to that is yes.	Yes, that one.	That

  1	who have been supporting stronger pollution standards

              2	for years.	It is about living out your love for God

              3	and neighbor.	When we love God, we protect what God

             4	has given us as a gift to be nurtured and tended not

  5	sullied with pollution.

                6	When we love our neighbor we don't pollute

  7	their land, their water, or their air causing them

              8	harm.	All of our many faith traditions call to care

  9	for the most vulnerable in our society.	And the

 10	pollution from the transportation sector harms those

 11	who are most vulnerable:	The very young, the very

 12	old, the poor, and frontline communities; first, worst

 13	and longest.

 14	The Prophet Micah asked the question, "What

 15	does the Lord require of you?	To do justice and love

 16	kindness and walk humbly with your God."

 17	I implore you to use your power for good in

 18	approving California's Waiver Request in full allowing

 19	the state to create the strongest possible limits on

 20	heavy-duty pollution and rules to accelerate the

 21	transition to Zero-Emission vehicles.

 22	Thank you for holding this hearing and for

           1	think we're going to take one more speaker before we

  2	start our next panel -- one more registered speaker

  3	before we start the next panel.

                  4	The next speaker will be Michelle Uberuaga.

  5	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

  6	MS. UBERUAGA:	Thank you so much.	My name is

           7	Michelle Uberuaga and I'm with Moms Clean Air Force.

  8	So I first want to thank you so much for your

  9	time.	I'm grateful for your work at the EPA.	You

 10	have a really important job.	And a lot of omission to

 11	protect human health and the environment.

 12	Like I said, my name is Michelle Uberuaga.	I

 13	am a mother of three.	I live on government land in

 14	Southwest Montana.	I work full-time running a

 15	community-based conservation group here in the

 16	Yellowstone Northern Gateway.	I am testifying today

 17	to thank you for your work to clean up truck pollution

 18	and ask you to approve California's Waiver Request in

 19	full allowing the state to create the strongest

 20	possible limits on heavy-duty vehicle pollution.

 21	Pollution from vehicles does not stop at the

 22	state lines.	We live right off Interstate 90, a small

              1	today for California.	Livingston, is our community.

             2	It is a small town in a rural county on the northern

  3	edge of Yellowstone National Park.

                  4	You might imagine that we have pretty good

              5	air quality.	Like every other place, we experience

  6	local pollution from vehicles.	It is inescapable.	In

             7	our little town, the freeway closes when the weather

             8	gets bad or the wind is too high, which is a frequent

             9	occurrence here, and heavy truck traffic is rerouted

 10	right through our downtown.	Right down Main Street.

 11	Right past our elementary school.	Sometimes traffic

 12	gets backed up for several miles.	Semis, cars, trucks

 13	slowly inch through town past schools, restaurants and

 14	sidewalks.	You can see the pollution in the air.

 15	We can and we must do better for our kids and

            16	for our communities.	An estimated 6 million children

 17	under 18 suffer from asthma.	My son has three kids on

 18	his soccer team that have asthma.	My husband is a

 19	coach.	He has to make judgment calls whether it is

 20	safe to practice or play games.	Parents should not be

 21	making these decisions.

 22	Thinking back on my childhood, I can remember

  1	experience asthma is astonishing.	Those numbers are

  2	much higher in historically larger marginalized

  3	communities in urban areas.	The data is clear:

  4	Communities of color are among the largest hit.

  5	That's not okay.	That's not fair.	We can and must do

  6	better.	And California wants to do better.

  7	So we need your help.	Local families and

              8	communities can work together to protect themselves

  9	from dangerous pollution.	We shouldn't have to.	And

 10	many, especially vulnerable communities, just don't

 11	have the resources or the time.	We need your

 12	leadership to allow states like California to protect

 13	their vulnerable children and children across our

 14	country from air pollution and climate change.	All

 15	you have to do right now is say yes.

 16	And this is the time that the country needs

 17	to rapidly transition to Zero-Emission vehicles.	As

 18	many speakers have already stated, we are at a tipping

 19	point.	Every decision you make to reduce pollution

 20	today matters.

 21	I really want you to understand the urgency

 22	of this work to my family and so many other Montana

  1	like mine have been devastated.	We can work together

  2	to protect ourselves.	But we need your help.	We lost

              3	much of our winter snowpack, which is the water to

           4	make it through the summer.	Now we're worried about

  5	wildfires.

                  6	My community is the not the only community

  7	suffering from extreme weather and climate crisis.	It

               8	is all over the country.	My kids are still pretty

  9	young.	They know something is not right.	There

 10	wasn't much snow this year at all.	It came.	They

 11	watched the flood waters rise.	We had -- we housed

 12	evacuees in our home.	And we sand bagged to save our

 13	community.	We're still helping our friends and

 14	neighbors.	Climate impacts every part of our lives,

 15	our economy, and our way of life.

 16	At the local level, we're rallying together

 17	to do everything we can amidst the crisis.	Now, we're

 18	asking for leadership from you at the Federal level.

 19	For these reasons I'm urging the EPA to allow

 20	California to adopt the strongest possible standards

 21	for trucks.	We're asking everyone at all levels of

 22	government to protect other children and communities

  1	want our kids to know we did everything we could to

  2	protect their future.

  3	Thank you for your time and consideration.

  4	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  5	Karl, go ahead.

  6	MR. SIMON:	Thank you for your comments.	We

  7	wish you all the best in these challenging times

  8	you've had over the last couple weeks in your

  9	community we are glad that you are able to bounce back

 10	as quickly as you can.

 11	MS. UBERUAGA:	Thank you.

 12	THE MODERATOR:	I am going to passing

 13	moderator duties to my colleague Joshua Silverblatt.

 14	THE MODERATOR:	As a reminder for everyone,

 15	if your are speaking today, you will be receiving a

 16	notification on your screen you are being promoted to

 17	the role of panelist shortly prior to your speaking

 18	time.	You must click to accept that invitation in

 19	order to unmute yourself when you are called to

 20	testify.	This will also allow you to turn on your

 21	camera, which we you encourage you to do.

 22	Speakers connected by telephone should unmute

  1	clearly so the court reporter and interpreters can

  2	accurately capture your testimony.	If you cannot get

  3	through your prepared remarks in the five minutes

  4	allowed for speaking more slowly, you are welcome to

  5	submit to the docket listed on the screen for

  6	consideration.

  7	Our next speaker will be Jeffrey Clarke.

  8	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

  9	MR. CLARKE:	Thank you.	My name is Jeff

 10	Clarke.	I'm the Director of Regulatory Affairs for

 11	NGV America.	NGV America in a nonprofit National

 12	Trade Association representing companies that produce,

 13	distribute and market natural gas and renewable

 14	natural gas as well as companies that manufacture and

 15	service national gas vehicles, engines and equipment.

 16	And also fleets that operate natural gas vehicles

 17	across North America.

 18	Our members include many companies located in

 19	or that provide products for California.	We strongly

 20	support the comments regard the need to reduce harmful

 21	emissions and the imperative of adopting strong

 22	policies to reduce transportation-related emissions

  1	California's optional low NOx levels.	These products

  2	are delivering significant reductions of NOx

  3	emissions, diesel particulates, and increasingly much

             4	lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions as a result

  5	of the significant use of renewable natural gas.

  6	We applaud California's leadership on

  7	environmental matters, but we have a number of

  8	concerns regarding its Section 209 Waiver Request.

  9	Our comments address the Clean Truck Rule, and the

 10	Airport Shuttle Rule.	We believe CARB's regulations

 11	as currently structured are impractical and too

 12	costly.	And rather than accelerating the use of

 13	existing technologies, in some cases will slow the

 14	pace of technology deployment by insisting on costly

 15	and yet not available vehicles.

 16	The ACT regulation is based an overly

 17	optimistic assumption regarding the pace of technology

 18	development.	Particularly as it relates Class 7 and 8

 19	trucks.	If vehicles are not available and Waivers are

 20	granted, fleets will most likely will continue to buy

 21	available diesel trucks since other clean air trucks

 22	are not required.

  1	We agree that CARB has not given sufficient

  2	consideration to other alternatives.

  3	We also believe that major shortcomings of

  4	the CARB regulation is not giving credit or

  5	consideration to low carbon biofuels.	Fuels that

  6	reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on upstream

  7	benefits of the fuel consumed.	California's low

  8	carbon fuel standard has resulted in the availability

  9	of fuels that are low carbon, carbon neutral and

 10	carbon negative.	But the vehicle regulations continue

 11	to ignore the benefits of these fuels.	We believe

 12	that it is unfortunate and a missed opportunity and a

 13	major shortcoming.	We question whether the ACT Rule

 14	and the transit shuttle bus rule consistent with

 15	Section 202 of the Clean Air Act in regard to

 16	technology, availability and cost effectiveness.

 17	CARB's letter to the EPA acknowledges the

 18	following significant incremental cost.	For ACT

 19	Regulations ZEV costs are estimated to be 30 to

 20	60 percent higher.	For the Airport Fleet Rule, ZEVs

 21	are estimated to be 108 to 97 percent higher for Class

 22	2b vehicles, and 51 to 46 percent higher for 40-foot

              1	100 percent more costly are cost effective.	Has EPA

  2	ever approved any regulation with such high costs?	We

  3	also think the major shortcoming of the existing cost

             4	analysis in support of the ACT, that it assumes that

  5	electric vehicles will replace conventional fuel

  6	vehicles on a one-to-one basis.	This has significant

  7	implication because most fleets will have to buy more

  8	electric vehicles and that has implications for cost,

  9	wages and upstream emissions associated with

 10	production of vehicles.

 11	The final point I would like to raise today

 12	is the appropriateness of addressing the Airport

 13	Shuttle Bus Regulation under Section 209.	We do not

 14	believe it is clear that the fleet regulation of this

 15	type is appropriate for consideration under Section

 16	209.	This issue received some attention in the case

 17	before the Supreme Court.	I do not believe that the

 18	litigation resolved whether fleet regulations fall

 19	within Section 209.	And in that litigation,

 20	California or rather the South Coast (inaudible)

 21	regulation as they relate to public fleets were

 22	ultimately upheld in Federal Court based on the market

  1	Thank you for the opportunity to provide

  2	these comments.

  3	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  4	Our next speaker will be Andrew Place.

  5	Please state your name and affiliation for the record.

                6	MR. PLACE:	Thank you very much.	I'm Andrew

  7	Place, Director of State Climate and Energy Policy

  8	with the Clean Air Task Force.	I cover coast-to-coast

  9	all U.S. states.

 10	Heavy-Duty trucks are the largest contributor

 11	to mobile source emissions of NOx which reacts in the

 12	atmosphere to form ozone and particulate matter.

 13	Further, the transportation sector is the largest

 14	source of greenhouse gases and heavy-duty trucks are

 15	the second largest contributor within the sector.

 16	In particular, diesel trucks and other diesel

 17	fuel equipment are significant contributors to

 18	particulate matter air pollution.	This air pollution

 19	often occurs along highways and industrial urban hubs

 20	and causes health disparities that further inequitable

 21	harms to historically marginalized communities.

 22	It is critical to public health and the

              1	take strong action to reduce emissions from trucks.

  2	Today we're here in support of another set of

             3	rules which will ease the path toward transportation

           4	decarbonization.	California's Request for Waiver of

  5	pre-emption for its on-highway heavy-duty vehicle

  6	emission regulations.

                  7	Under the Clean Air Act, for over 50 years,

  8	the state of California has served as the national

  9	laboratory for the testing of technological solutions,

 10	and the regulatory approaches to improve air quality.

 11	Seventeen states have followed that lead adopting

 12	their stringent, low and zero-emitting vehicle

 13	regulations and significantly reducing light-duty

 14	transportation emissions.

 15	Currently six states representing more than

 16	20 percent of the medium- and heavy-duty truck market

 17	have committed to adopting the regulations currently

 18	under consideration under this set of Waiver Requests.

 19	The Advanced Clean Truck Rule aims to put 300,000

 20	Zero-Emission trucks on the road by 2035, and the

 21	Heavy-Duty Omnibus Rule sets nitrous oxide and

 22	particulate matter emissions standards for new trucks

  1	vehicle manufacturer are entirely capable of meeting

  2	the requirements of the state's heavy-duty program and

  3	EPA should issue the Waiver swiftly.

  4	Thank you for the time to comment and for

  5	your consideration.

  6	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

  7	Our next speaker will be Kelly Crawford.

  8	State your name and affiliation for the record.

  9	Kelly, looks like you are still muted.

 10	MS. CRAWFORD:	My name is Kelly Crawford.

 11	C-R-A-W-F-O-R-D.	I am here representing Ozone

 12	Transport Commission Mobile Sources Committee.	Ready?

 13	That didn't restart the timer.

 14	Good afternoon.	My name is Kelly Crawford.

 15	I'm the Director for Air Quality Division at the

 16	District of Columbia Department of Energy and

 17	Environment.	I am testifying today as the Chair of

 18	the Ozone Transport Commission Mobile Sources

 19	Committee in support of the EPA granting the three

 20	California Air Resources Board Waivers.

 21	The OTC members are Connecticut, Delaware,

 22	District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,

  1	developing and implementing initiatives --

  2	MR. DICKINSON:	Kelly, can you slow down just

  3	a little bit, please?

  4	THE WITNESS:	Got it.	The OTC members are

  5	responsible for developing and implementing

  6	initiatives to reduce NOx and VOC, the precursor for

  7	air pollutants that contribute to the formation of

  8	ground level ozone pollution.

  9	Epidemiological studies provide strong

 10	evidence that ozone is associated with respiratory

 11	effects including increased asthma attacks as well as

 12	increased hospital admissions and emergency room

 13	visits, people suffering from respiratory diseases.

 14	Ozone can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary

 15	disease, and long-term exposure may result in

 16	permanent lung damage such as abnormal lung

 17	development in children.

 18	People of color and those with lower

 19	household incomes are often impacted by

 20	disproportionate amounts of diesel exhaust emissions

 21	and worsened health burdens due to poor air quality

 22	U.S. cities.	Millions of residents live in areas of

              1	Act of 70 parts per billion.	As a result, they will

  2	need additional pollution reductions particularly for

  3	NAAQS in order to meet the 2015 Ozone NAAQS.

                  4	The OTR includes the New York City combined

             5	municipal area, or CSA, with over 20 million people.

  6	It is the largest CSA by population in the United

              7	States.	It not only violates the 2015 Ozone NAAQS,

  8	but also the less stringent 2008 8-hour Ozone NAAQS of

              9	75 ppb.	In April of 2013 -- sorry, April 13, 2022,

 10	EPA proposed to reclassify the New York City, Long

 11	Island, northern New Jersey, southwest Connecticut

 12	area from serious to severe nonattainment because it

 13	failed to meet its serious nonattainment deadline of

 14	July 20, 2021.

 15	A recent OTC analysis found that on-road

 16	diesel vehicles including heavy-duty vehicles are

 17	projected to be the third largest NOx emission source

 18	in this region in 2023.	Emissions from highway trucks

 19	are estimated to comprise 20 percent of the region's

 20	total NOx emissions.

 21	To address the region's persistent air

 22	quality problems, reducing NOx from heavy-duty trucks

  1	visibility impairment in Class 1 areas.

  2	Requiring cleaner trucks to be -- requiring

  3	cleaner trucks has been a long-standing request from

  4	the OTC to EPA.	In 2019, OTC requested that EPA make

  5	reductions of heavy-duty NOx, one of the agency's most

  6	urgent priorities.

  7	In February 2020, OTC provided comments on

  8	EPA's Advanced Clean Truck Rule making calling on EPA

  9	to set emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles at

 10	90 percent below the current standard, to harmonize

 11	with the California Omnibus Program.

 12	In June 2020, OTC sent a letter calling on

 13	the agency to expeditiously propose a heavy-duty

 14	engine NOx standard 90 percent low current levels.

 15	In October of 2021, OTC wrote to the EPA

 16	Administrator and to the Council on Environmental

 17	Quality asking EPA to act expeditiously to set

 18	stronger standards for heavy-duty engines and

 19	vehicles.

 20	And in May 2022, OTC filed comments on the

 21	agency's proposed heavy-duty engine and vehicle

 22	standards requesting EPA to finalize NOx emission

  1	states that adopting the California ACT and Omnibus

  2	Regulations.	The analysis found that between 2025 and

             3	2050 more than 700,000 tons of NOx will be reduced in

             4	the ozone transport states with adoption of these two

  5	regulations.	Three states in the region:

             6	Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York have adopted

  7	these two -- have adopted two of these reg -- uhm,

             8	uhm -- sorry, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York

  9	have adopted the Advanced Clean Truck Regulation.	And

 10	one state, Massachusetts, has adopted the Omnibus

 11	Regulation.

 12	Additionally, additional states are expected

 13	to follow.	Adoption of California's standards will

 14	assist states in meeting the requirements of the NAAQS

 15	and improving the health of millions of citizens

 16	currently living in areas with poor air quality.

 17	EPA is required to grant California's Waiver

 18	Request under Section 209 where the agency has found

 19	that the state has compelling and extraordinary needs

 20	for such standards and as approved is at least as

 21	stringent as the Federal one, so as long as California

 22	has not been arbitrary or capricious.	Those

  1	EPA the three waiver requests that have been

  2	submitted.

  3	Thank you for the opportunity to comment

  4	today.

  5	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

  6	Our next speaker is Tiffany Nichols.	I can

  7	not find you in the list of attendees.	Can you please

  8	raise your hand if you have joined under a different

  9	name, or joined by phone, please select Star-9 to

 10	raise your hand.

 11	Not seeing a hand raised, I'm going to move

 12	on to the next scheduled speaker Columbia Sainz.	I

 13	also do not see you in our list of attendees.	So if

 14	you are here, please Columbia Sainz, raise your hand

 15	or if you are dialing in by phone, please select

 16	Star-9.

 17	Very well.	We're going to move on.	Our next

 18	speaker today is John Clark.	John, can you please

 19	state your name and affiliation for the record.

 20	MR. CLARK:	Yes.	I'm John Clark, Mayor of

 21	town of Ridgway, Colorado.	Good afternoon.	Thank you

 22	for the opportunity to testify in this important

  1	Ridgway the gateway to the San Juan Mountains in

  2	southwest Colorado, where population is about 1200.

  3	But because Colorado State Highway 62 runs right

  4	through the middle of our town, the number of vehicles

  5	that pass daily dwarfs the population.	Since we're in

  6	a remote rural area, 300 miles from Denver, these

  7	vehicles -- many of them medium- and heavy-duty

  8	trucks -- and the goods and services they transport

  9	are vitally important to our economy and way of life.

 10	But these vehicles have negative impacts on

 11	our climate and air quality; ones they can and must be

 12	mitigated.	In Colorado, the transportation sector is

 13	the largest sector of greenhouse gas emissions.

 14	Medium- and heavy-duty trucks are the second largest

 15	source of these emissions.	Only 10 percent of

 16	vehicles on the road are medium- and heavy-duty

 17	trucks, yet they account for 22 percent of greenhouse

 18	gas emissions.

 19	In addition to contributing to climate

 20	change, these trucks add dangerous air pollution which

 21	negatively impacts human health.	Medium- and

 22	heavy-duty trucks contribute 30 percent of on-road

  1	front range where asthma levels are some of the

  2	highest in the country.

                  3	But also in rural areas like Ridgway where

  4	high altitude temperature inversions trap toxic

             5	emissions from highway vehicles to our valley almost

              6	every day.	Fortunately, Colorado is addressing this

  7	very dire issue by creating robust clean truck

             8	strategies and equally important by securing funding

  9	to implement these strategies.

 10	We have worked hard to create strategies that

 11	will work across the state.	And we need your help in

 12	implementing them.	We're making up for lost time in

 13	combating vehicle emissions.	Again, it is the number

 14	one source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

 15	Therefore, we are relying on the EPA to make

 16	it possible for Colorado to adopt and implement our

 17	Clean Truck Rules to help improve air quality and

 18	reduce climate warming emissions across the state and

 19	the country.	Without EPA's support of these Rules,

 20	there's no way we can meet our emissions goals to

 21	revert the worst impacts of climate change.

 22	We all need to work together to address these

  1	weather events disrupt our tourism economy, and all

  2	the negative impacts to humans and to Colorado's

  3	fragile landscape in a warming climate.

  4	I ask that the EPA consider the impacts

  5	nationwide of this decision and help us implement the

  6	Clean Truck strategies that are a vitally important

  7	step in reducing emissions.

  8	Thank you for the opportunity to speak on

  9	behalf of rural Colorado and the town of Ridgway.

 10	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 11	Our next speaker is Anne Mellinger-Birdsong.

 12	State your affiliation and name for the record.

 13	MS. MELLINGER-BIRDSONG:	My name is Anne

 14	Mellinger-Birdsong.	I'm speaking on behalf of Mothers

 15	& Others For Clean Air.	Should I go now?	Okay.

 16	So, uhm, I'm a pediatrician and specialist in

 17	public health.	I've worked at multiple levels of

 18	public health including City, County, State and

 19	Federal health agencies, tuberculosis and other public

 20	health clinics and Native American Health Clinics.

 21	I'm speaking on behalf of Mothers & Others For Clean

 22	Air.	We partner with the American Lung Association.

  1	serious problems with health-damaging air pollution

  2	and needs these cleaner truck standards as soon as

  3	possible to protect public health.	But not only do

  4	the Waivers protect public health in California, they

  5	protect public health all over the country.	Other

  6	states follow California's Standards and also

             7	California Standards mean that more clean trucks are

  8	part of the mix on highways all over the country.

  9	Between the other states that follow the

 10	standards and the fact that air pollution crosses

 11	state borders, the California standards improve health

 12	for people all over the country including where I live

 13	in Georgia.

 14	Trucks are a major contributor to air

 15	pollution in cities and the air pollution they create

 16	form increased formulation of including nitrous oxide,

 17	particulates and ozone and they are all very damaging

 18	to health.	Just this week the Health Effects

 19	Institute released an analysis of traffic-related air

 20	pollution showing that it causes increased mortality

 21	for all causes; for circulatory ischemic heart disease

 22	and lung cancers, it causes new asset asthma in

             1	effect when we designed our Interstate highway system

             2	and other forms of environmental racism, as of right

             3	now, communities of color have had more highways and

             4	trucking distribution centers built in or near them,

  5	and therefore, have more exposure to the health

  6	damaging air pollution the trucks create.

                 7	As a pediatrician, I know that air pollution

  8	is very harmful to children.	And that children do not

             9	have equal exposure to air pollution.	Children spend

 10	more time outside and breathe more air for their body

 11	weight than adults.	As stated earlier, traffic

 12	related air pollution is strongly linked to asthma in

 13	children.	If you have ever had to give a breathing

 14	treatment to a child struggling to breathe during an

 15	asthma attack, it is not something you will ever

 16	forget.

 17	Nitrogen oxides and particulate air pollution

 18	damage children's lung growth through the teen years.

 19	So that their lungs end up smaller than an adult than

 20	other children who grew up in cleaner environments.

 21	This sets them up for a lifetime of lung problems as

 22	adults.

  1	provide billions of dollars in health benefits and

  2	prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths.

  3	And again, because exposure is so

             4	inequitable, communities of color would benefit more

  5	from the health benefits from reduced truck pollution.

  6	Mothers & Others For Clean Air thinks there's

  7	enough health harm from truck air pollution that

  8	California and the EPA are well within their duties to

  9	regulate truck air pollution to protect health.

 10	Especially the health of vulnerable populations such

 11	as children, pregnant women, and communities of color.

 12	I urge EPA to quickly approve these Waivers

 13	which will protect public health and prevent deaths,

 14	asthma and lower respiratory infections.	Thank you.

 15	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 16	Our next speaker for today is JJ Trout but I

 17	can't seem to find you in the list of attendees.

 18	Mr. Trout, if you are here, please raise your hand, if

 19	you joined under a different name.	Also, if you

 20	joined by phone, please select Star-9.

 21	I do see a hand up.	So let me move you over.

 22	JJ, are you there?	Please state your name and

  1	Seitz.	And I am going to read JJ Trout's public

  2	comments.	She was unable to attend today.

  3	For the record, again, my name is Anita

  4	Seitz.	I'm the Advocacy Director for Colorado

  5	Communities for Climate Action.	And I'm reading Mayor

  6	Pro Tem JJ Trout's statement.

  7	I am going to read it as written.	Good

  8	afternoon.	Thank you for the opportunity to provide

  9	public comments today.	My name is JJ Trout.	I am

 10	Mayor Pro Tem for Golden, Colorado.	I am here because

 11	air pollution and climate change are dangerous and

 12	they are negatively impacting communities and

 13	residents like mine.

 14	Golden, my community, is a beautiful,

 15	walkable, bikeable town nestled along Clear Creek and

 16	the foothills of Colorado's front range.	I'm asking

 17	you to grant California's Waivers Request for the

 18	Advanced Clean Trucks, Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle

 19	and Zero-Emission Powertrain Certification Regulation,

 20	and the Omnibus Low NOx Regulation and Heavy-Duty

 21	Emission Warranty Regulation.	These waivers not only

 22	benefit California but provide states like Colorado

  1	manufacturers that have time to invest in Clean Truck

  2	Technology.

                  3	In my state of Colorado, transportation is

  4	the largest source of greenhouse emissions and medium-

  5	and heavy-duty trucks are the second largest source of

              6	greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation

  7	sector.	Only one-in-ten of the autos on road in

              8	Colorado are medium and heavy-duty trucks, but they

              9	account for almost 25 percent of transportation GHG

 10	emissions.	Medium- and heavy-duty trucks are also

 11	sources of air pollution, NOx and particulate matter

 12	emissions.	The impact of this affects every citizen

 13	of Colorado and disproportionately our low-income

 14	community members who live closer to highways.	Over

 15	three-fifths of Colorado live in the -- Coloradans,

 16	rather, live in the EPA designated front range ozone

 17	nonattainment areas and must breathe severely

 18	unhealthy air every day.

 19	Colorado has been working for several years

 20	on this issue and we are poised to make the transition

 21	to clean trucks.	We have dedicated funding, developed

 22	a comprehensive plan that is strategically complements

  1	emission goals to avert the worst impact of climate

  2	change.

  3	State leaders in Colorado are doing all we

  4	can to transition the truck fleets to low-emission

  5	alternative vehicles.	But without the authority, we

  6	are not -- all of our work will be put to a stop.

  7	Colorado has ambitious and data-driven greenhouse gas

  8	reduction targets.	Implementing Advanced Clean Trucks

  9	Standards is part of our plan to reach those targets.

 10	We need the EPA Waivers to implement the strategy.

 11	Colorado has been disproportionately impacted by

 12	climate change.

 13	The national news has covered our fires,

 14	floods, and rock slides.	We genuinely don't have time

 15	to waste.	By approving California's Waiver you are

 16	giving states like mine the opportunity to make

 17	strides in addressing the challenge of our day:

 18	Climate change.	Thank you for your time.

 19	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

 20	Just as a reminder, if you are speaking

 21	today, you will receive a notification on your screen

 22	that you are being promoted to the role of panelist

               1	to turn on your camera.	We do encourage you to do

  2	that if you feel comfortable.

  3	Speakers connected by telephone should unmute

  4	their phones by pressing Star-6 when called to

              5	testify.	And as another thing for our interpreters

  6	and reporters, please do speak slowly and clearly so

  7	they can accurately capture your testimony.

                   8	Our next speaker is Melissa Ramos.	State

  9	your name and affiliation for the record.

 10	MS. RAMOS:	Good morning.	My name Melissa

 11	Ramos, I serve as the Clean Air Advocacy Manager for

 12	the American Lung Association.

 13	I'm speaking in strong support of the

 14	Environmental Protection Agency granting California

 15	the Clean Truck Waivers without delay to implement

 16	these critical public health policies.

 17	As it has for over five decades, the Clean

 18	Air Act recognizes the unique challenges facing the

 19	people of California when it comes to unhealthy air

 20	pollution.	Cutting emissions from trucking and other

 21	heavy-duty vehicles is vital to improving public

 22	health, reducing health disparities and reducing

  1	Waivers immediately so California and other states can

  2	move forward with these life-saving rules.

  3	Transportation pollution is a dominant source of both

  4	climate pollution and smog-forming oxides and

  5	nitrogen.	The trucking sector contributes heavy doses

  6	of air pollution and threatens health despite truck

  7	making up a small percentage of the on-road vehicle

  8	population.

  9	According to the American Lung Association

 10	2022 State of the Air Report, over 4-in-10

 11	Americans -- that's 107 million people -- now live in

 12	communities impacted by unhealthy air.	In Nevada,

 13	94 percent of residents breath unhealthy levels of air

 14	pollution.	We're depending on these Cleaner Truck

 15	Waivers so that we also can use the Clean Air Act's

 16	authority to protect residents from the health harms

 17	of air pollution.

 18	The California Low NOx Omnibus and Warranty

 19	Rules and the Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules like the

 20	truck standards include the transition to

 21	Zero-Emission technologies and require cleaner

  1	overburdened by truck traffic today.

  2	American Lung Association research highlights

  3	that the nationwide transition to accepting

  4	zero-emission transportation and electricity including

  5	medium- and heavy-duty vehicles included in several of

  6	these policies could yield over 1.2 trillion in public

  7	health benefits by 2015.	This includes 110,000 lives

  8	saved, nearly three million asthma attacks avoided,

  9	over 13 million lost work avoided due to cleaner air.

 10	We strongly support EPA moving -- approving

 11	these Waivers to ensure progress is made to achieving

 12	these benefits as more states adopt the California

 13	Rules.

 14	The American Lung Association dirty and

 15	unhealthy air estimates that Americans could

 16	experience 7.5 billion public health benefits to the

 17	shift to Zero-Emission technology.	Furthermore,

 18	states continue to (inaudible) life-saving rules

 19	extending benefits to residents throughout the U.S.

 20	Nevada has made incredible strides to clean

 21	up our transportation sector.	Last year we become the

  1	Health organizations, doctors and nurses have

  2	been voicing support for stronger protection against a

  3	harmful mix of tailpipe pollution, and also to reduce

  4	emission standards and policies in Nevada.	Working

  5	residents continue to suffer from asthma attacks,

  6	longer allergy seasons and other respiratory illnesses

  7	keeping children from school and parents from work.

  8	Exposure to air pollution from traffic,

  9	especially in trucking corridors, worsens respiratory

 10	and cardiovascular symptoms making Nevadans more

 11	likely to cough, wheeze and sneeze.	In Nevada, we're

 12	eager to see the implementation of cleaner trucking

 13	rules to ensure our citizens enjoy the benefits of

 14	cleaner engines and Zero-Emission technology.

 15	We are committed in Nevada to act on these

 16	rules so that all of our residents breathe healthier

 17	air.	The transition to Zero-Emission transportation

 18	is a crucial step in meeting clean air and climate

 19	standards, along with ensuring combustion vehicles are

 20	required to clean up and required to perform to

 21	stronger standards over their full, useful life.

  1	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

  2	Our next speaker today is Shanna Edberg but I

  3	can't seem to find you in list of attendees.	If you

  4	are here, raise your hand if you joined under a

  5	different name, or if you joined by phone, please

  6	select Star-9 to raise your hand.

  7	In that case, we'll move on to our next

  8	speaker.	Our next speaker today is Jessica Mengistab.

  9	State your name and affiliation for the record.

 10	MS. MEGISTAB:	My name is Jessica Megistab.

 11	I'm affiliated with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy

 12	Environments.

 13	Good afternoon.	I would like to thank you

 14	all for giving myself and all of the members of the

 15	public you have heard from yesterday and today the

 16	opportunity to comment, and offer support for more

 17	stringent standards for heavy-duty vehicles as well as

 18	California's Waiver request.

 19	I am the program manager focusing on climate

 20	and clean energy advocacy with the Alliance of Nurses

 21	for Healthy Environments, or ANHE.	ANHE is the only

  1	I'm also a nurse specializing in maternal

              2	child health.	And like many nurses and other health

  3	care workers on the frontline of the pandemic, I

  4	contracted Covid 19 at the end of 2020.	The course of

  5	my illness presented with severe lingering respiratory

             6	symptoms and resulted in my requiring an inhaler for

  7	months as I healed, even though I had no prior history

  8	of asthma.

                 9	This experience gave me just a small glimpse

            10	of what individuals with asthma and other respiratory

 11	conditions like COPD or chronic bronchitis deal with

 12	day-to-day every day, and cost me even greater concern

         13	regarding our country's state of current air quality.

 14	Being in high traffic areas still irritates

            15	my breathing these days.	And high pollen seasons are

 16	also more challenging than they have ever been for me.

 17	It is no coincidence that communities nearer to high

 18	traffic zones, highways and ports have significantly

 19	higher rates of chronic conditions like asthma,

 20	cardiovascular disease, COPD, and higher incidences of

 21	negative outcomes from Covid 19.

  1	overwhelmingly lower income and/or minority

  2	communities.

                  3	I thank you, the administration, for acting

  4	swiftly on clean trucks, but also urge EPA to approve

           5	California's Waivers in full allowing this state and

             6	additional states to create stronger possible limits

  7	on heavy-duty vehicle pollution and rules to

             8	accelerate the transition -- subsequently accelerate

  9	the transition to Zero-Emission vehicles.

 10	The potential denial of this Waiver

 11	represents a serious attack on health and well-being

 12	of already overburdened frontline communities and the

 13	rest of the country.	We're overdue in our efforts to

 14	transitioning to vehicle technology that is readily

 15	available and will drastically reduce harmful toxic

 16	pollution.

 17	Phasing out diesel fuel vehicles will ensure

 18	cleaner air, protect public health, promote health

 19	equity and also promote energy independence.	All of

 20	which will benefit our country in the long run.	Any

 21	delay in implementation of California's Cleaner Trucks

  1	Nurses across the country are calling on this

  2	Administration to protect public health and promote

  3	cleaner air across the county.

  4	Thank you very much.

  5	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you very much for your

  6	comments.

  7	Our next speaker scheduled today is Janet

  8	Bernabe, but I can't seem to find you in the list of

  9	attendees.	Can you please raise your hand if you have

 10	joined under a different name or else if you joined by

 11	phone, please select Star-9 to also raise your hand.

 12	We will move on then.	Our next scheduled

 13	speaker is also not on the current list of attendees,

 14	Lisa McGhee.	If you are on the line but have

 15	connected under a different name, please raise your

 16	hand.	Also, if you joined by phone, please select

 17	Star-9.

 18	Okay.	Seeing no hand raised, we will move on

 19	to our next and final scheduled speaker for today,

 20	George Marlin.	But I also can't seem to find you in

 21	the list of attendees.	Mr. Marlin, if you have joined

  1	there was anyone scheduled on an earlier panel and was

  2	unable to speak, please raise your hand in Zoom or

  3	dial Star-9, I'm sure you are tired of hearing those

  4	instructions by now, if you joined by phone and you

  5	need to raise your hand.

  6	MS. SEITZ:	Can you hear me?

  7	THE MODERATOR:	I apologize, Anita.	I am not

  8	sure if was your connection.	You were cutting in and

  9	out previously.	Would you mind trying to restate what

 10	you just said?

 11	MS. SEITZ:	I was gotten word George was

 12	having some issues with his connection and I do have a

 13	copy of his statement if you would like me to read

 14	that.

 15	THE MODERATOR:	Yes, please.	If you can

 16	please state George's name and affiliation for the

 17	record and then you may deliver his testimony.	Thank

 18	you.

 19	MS. SEITZ:	I apologize, I have CPU usage

 20	issues going on.	Seems like I have.	I am here on

 21	behalf of George Lynch (no clear audio)

  1	turning off your video to conserve some bandwidth.	We

  2	might be able to at least get a clear audio.	Let's

  3	give that a shot.

  4	MS. SEITZ:	I apologize to everyone.	Can you

  5	hear me better now?

  6	THE MODERATOR:	Yes.

  7	MS. SEITZ:	Good afternoon.	Thank you for

              8	the opportunity to provide public comment today.	My

             9	name is George Marlin, County Commissioner for Clear

 10	Creek County, Colorado, and President of the Colorado

 11	Communities for Climate Action or CCCA.	We are a

 12	coalition of 39 local governments from across our

 13	state, and collectively representative about

 14	one-quarter of Coloradans.	We are cities and

 15	counties, rural and urban, front range and mountain,

 16	that have joined together for the express purpose of

 17	pushing for stronger state and federal climate action.

 18	On behalf of our members, I urge the EPA to

 19	fully grant California's Waiver Request for the

 20	Advanced Trucks, Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle and

 21	Zero-Emission powertrain Certification Regulation, the

             1	to the set standards to signal to the market that it

  2	is time to invest in clean truck technology.

                  3	As a County Commissioner from a county that

  4	has four times its population driving through it every

          5	day, and asthma rates above our state's average, I am

  6	painfully aware of the need to reduce air pollution

  7	from trucks in Colorado, and in much of the United

  8	States.	Transportation is the largest source of

  9	greenhouse gas emissions.	In addition to contributing

 10	to climate change, these trucks contribute to

 11	dangerous air pollution which negatively impacts human

 12	health.

 13	Disproportionately impacted communities along

 14	heavily trafficked transportation corridors feels the

 15	worst of these health impacts.	People should not be

 16	subject to a lower quality of life based on where they

 17	were born or where they can afford to live.	We need

 18	the tools to regulate and address this pollution.

 19	Again, I ask the EPA to fully approve

 20	California's Waiver Requests to enable state standards

 21	needed to clean up fossil fuel vehicles and promote

  1	there's anything you would like to add, please feel

  2	free to do so.

  3	MR. MARLIN:	Thank you.	I logged in right as

  4	Julie started reading my testimony.

  5	Julie, I think you did better than I could

  6	have.	Really appreciate you doing that.	Anita, you

  7	were reading that.	Well, thank you, Anita.	I don't

  8	have anything else to add.

  9	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you very much, George.

 10	At this time we have concluded with the list

 11	of speakers for this block.	I do not see any other

 12	hands raised.	Our next session is scheduled to begin

 13	at 2:15.

 14	Karl, do you think it would be okay to take a

 15	short recess until the next panel begins?

 16	MS. MROZ:	Sorry, it looks like we have a

 17	speaker from a previous panel who raised his hand to

 18	speak.

 19	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for mentioning

 20	that, Jessica.	I missed that one.	Very well.

 21	Tim Gould, I have given you the ability to

  1	afraid, I admit, I was not able to join in the earlier

  2	one when I was scheduled.

  3	I'm Tim Gould.	I'm a resident in Seattle,

  4	Washington.	I do a lot of volunteer work on behalf of

  5	the number of transportation advocacy organizations in

  6	favor of improving air quality and moving to

  7	electrification of our vehicle fleet.

  8	I also professionally work in the air quality

  9	field doing research on air pollution related mostly

 10	to mobile sources.	And based on both my professional

 11	work and my advocacy work, I fully understand the need

 12	to clean up our truck fleet.	And certainly the Biden

 13	Administration has spoken about the importance of

 14	this, this rule making and allowing California to move

 15	ahead with its more stringent standards.	It's really

 16	important to allow California to set emission

 17	standards that exceed the national average and allow

 18	other states like mine to adopt the more stringent

 19	standards.

 20	Also in light of the Supreme Kangaroo Court

 21	ruling that was announced this morning, that just

              1	more protective standards.	There are enough states

             2	that are together following the California standards

              3	and are willing to do so.	They can really help tip

              4	the market nationally, even if the Supreme Kangaroo

  5	Court had its -- tied the EPA and reduced its ability

              6	to adopt the kind of standards that we really need.

  7	Because irrespective of what the Supreme

             8	Kangaroo Court may say, the science tells us climate

  9	change is real; it's happening, it's becoming more of

            10	a factor a lot quicker than and we need cutting edge

 11	regulatory tools, like this Waiver, for the Heavy-Duty

            12	Omnibus Rule, Advanced clean truck Rule to get us the

            13	kind of emission reductions that we need for climate

            14	change and also for reducing criteria air pollutants

 15	in heavily impacted communities.

 16	And it is definitely true that many of the

            17	areas impacted by the, these heavy-duty trucks around

 18	ports, major highways that are freight goods,

            19	transportation corridors, those are mostly low-income

 20	individuals who don't really have any other good

             21	options, you know.	They are priced to live in those
                                       
  1	granting of these Waivers to the state of California

  2	and look forward to as many states as possible

  3	following California's lead to make sure that we have

  4	clean truck standards with more stringent emission

  5	standards that will benefit heavily impacted

  6	communities and help move the needle on climate

  7	change.

  8	Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

  9	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you very much for your

 10	comments.	At this time we have a few minutes before

 11	our next speaker block is scheduled to begin.	We

 12	would like to invite anyone who was scheduled to speak

 13	on that previous panel yesterday who was unable to

 14	join to please raise your hand or dial Star-9 if you

 15	joined us by phone in order to testify.

 16	Debra, would you please state your full name

 17	and affiliation for the record.

 18	MS. HIGBEE-SUDYKA:	Is that me?

 19	THE MODERATOR:	Yes.	Sorry if I was -- we

 20	can see and hear you.

  1	in Cornelius.	And I appreciate the work EPA has done

  2	on clean trucks and urge you to fully approve

  3	California's Waiver Request.

  4	This will create the strongest possible

  5	limits on heavy-duty vehicle pollution and accelerate

  6	the transition to Zero-Emission vehicles.	We need

  7	California's authority under the Clean Air Act to set

  8	more stringent emission standards to help clean the

  9	air and address our climate emergency; especially

 10	given what the Supreme Court has done recently.

 11	For the past six years, I have worked with

 12	high school students in the Cornelius Youth Climate

 13	Action Group.	During that time I have witnessed a

 14	deep concern of our youth regarding the urgent need to

 15	take action on climate change.	They have attended

 16	meetings when they should have been doing homework or

 17	sports.	But instead were asking for action on various

 18	climate initiatives.	Often they were only young

 19	people in the room.	Quite frankly, they were

 20	essentially requesting that adults step up and do what

  1	vehicle emissions standards.

  2	If California's rules are approved, there are

  3	many benefits.	For example, strong standards drive

  4	innovation and create jobs.	It will shrink and shift

  5	expenditures from diesel and gasoline to the labor

  6	intensive service industry serving as a potent job

  7	creator and economic stimulant.

  8	Disadvantaged communities will benefit most

  9	from a transition to electrifying transportation, not

 10	just for the health benefits, but economically as

 11	well; with higher professional job growth and

 12	higher -- larger per capita economic gains.

 13	Thank you again for the opportunity to

 14	testify and I urge you to grant California's authority

 15	to create the Rules to reduce pollution and to

 16	accelerate the transition to Zero-Emission heavy-duty

 17	trucks.	Thank you very much.

 18	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comments.

 19	At this time we have concluded this

 20	afternoon's -- this current panelist block.

  1	Karl has stepped away and asked me to be the Presiding

  2	Officer.	I think we will, doesn't look like we have a

  3	lot of speakers in Block 10.	I think we should go

  4	ahead and continue off the camera for a while.	Let's

  5	go ahead and continue, Josh.

  6	THE MODERATOR:	In that case, I will be

  7	passing the mic to my colleague, Tuana, whenever you

  8	are ready.

  9	MS. PHILLIPS:	Thank you so much, Josh.

 10	As a reminder, if you are speaking today, you

 11	will receive a notification on your screen that you

 12	are being promoted to the role of panelist shortly

 13	prior to your speaking time.	You must click to accept

 14	that invitation to be able to unmute when you are

 15	called to testify.	This will allow you to turn on

 16	your camera, which we encourage you to do.

 17	Speakers connected by telephone should unmute

 18	their phones by pressing Star-6 when called to

 19	testify.

 20	Also, please be sure to speak slowly and

  1	consideration.

  2	Our next speaker will be Andrea Vidaurre.

  3	I'm not seeing Andrea's name on the attendees list.

  4	Andrea, if you have joined us by a different name,

  5	please raise your hand using your raised hand function

  6	at the bottom.	Or if you have joined by phone, you

  7	can do so by clicking Star-9 on your phone.	We'll

  8	circle back to Andrea at the end.

  9	The next speaker as Estefany

 10	Carrasco-Gonzalez.	I'm not seeing Estefany either.

 11	If you are on, again, raise your hand or a quick

 12	Star-9 on your phone.

 13	Likewise, it looks like the following speaker

 14	after that, Juan Carlos Guardado?	Juan Carlos

 15	Guardado is not on either, so we will circle back to

 16	these panelists at the end.	Hopefully you have joined

 17	by the end.

 18	That means Melissa Iachetta, also apologies,

 19	everyone, not seeing Melissa either.

 20	Okay.	So Angela Dykema, sorry if

  1	afternoon -- good morning to you all.	My name is

  2	Caryn Potter, and I am actually subbing in today for

  3	Angie Dykema, one of my colleagues.	And I'm

  4	testifying on behalf of SWEEP.	SWEEP is the Southwest

  5	Energy Efficiency Project.	SWEEP is a regional energy

  6	efficiency organization that promotes greater energy

  7	efficiency and clean transportation across the

  8	Southwest region of the United States.

  9	SWEEP works in states that have both signed

 10	and multistate medium- and heavy-duty vehicle

 11	Memorandum of Understanding, such as Nevada, as well

 12	as states like New Mexico and Colorado.	They're

 13	wanting to adopt similar rules as well.

 14	Thank you for the opportunity to testify

 15	today and we urge the EPA to fully grant California's

 16	Waiver Requests for the Advanced Clean Trucks and

 17	Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle and Zero-Emission

 18	Powertrain Certification Regulation, as well as the

 19	Omnibus Low NOx Regulation and Heavy-Duty Emission

 20	Warranty Regulations.

  1	Now more than ever it is critical for the EPA

  2	to fully approve California's Waiver Request to allow

  3	for more ambitious requirements for clean heavy-duty

  4	technology.	Oftentimes environmental justice

  5	communities suffer from the disproportionate burden of

  6	pollution from the goods movement sector at large.

  7	Diesel emissions are responsible for dangerous levels

  8	of nitrogen oxide and other fine particulate matter

  9	that increase the risk of severe respiratory illnesses

 10	and other health problems.

 11	We have only seen these issues amplified as

 12	studies continue to link to long-term exposures to

 13	fine particulate matter with an increased risk of

 14	death from Covid 19 and most recently this pandemic.

 15	And I'll just quickly conclude.	Asking you

 16	again to adhere to long decade standards precedents

 17	and to fully approve California's Waiver Requests to

 18	ensure that states have the ability to address their

 19	unique air pollution challenges by enforcing

  1	please raise your hand using your hand raise function.

  2	Or you can click Star-9 on your phone.

  3	Okay.	I'm not seeing any raised hand.	In

  4	that case we will move on.	I see that Douglas

  5	Greenhaus has joined as a panelist.

  6	Please state your name and affiliation for

  7	the record.

  8	MR. GREENHAUS:	Sure.	Good afternoon.	My

  9	name is Douglas Greenhaus, G-R-E-E-N-H-A-U-S,

 10	Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs, Environment

 11	Health and Safety for the National Automobile Dealers

 12	Association.	I'm pleased today to present testimony

 13	on behalf of our American Truck Dealers Division,

 14	which is composed 1900 franchised commercial truck

 15	vehicle dealerships where they sell medium- to

 16	heavy-duty trucks, tractors and trailers engaged in

 17	service and gear and part sales.	Together they employ

 18	125,000 people nationwide, yet the majority of their

 19	operations are small businesses.

  1	preempts state emission standards for new motor

  2	vehicles.	Section 209 (b) allows EPA to grant Waivers

  3	to California from that expressed preemption for

  4	standards to meet certain criteria.	California is

  5	requesting 209(b) Waivers for three rules designed for

  6	medium- and heavy-duty commercial motor vehicles sold

  7	at least in California.	The Warranty Maintenance Rule

  8	that's supposed to apply MY22 vehicles and later.	The

  9	Omnibus Low NOx Rule that purports to apply to MY2024

 10	and later vehicles.	And the Advanced Clean Truck Rule

 11	that purports to apply to MY2024 and later.

 12	Today I am simply urging the EPA to ask CARB

 13	to revise its new rules to reflect the minimum four

 14	years of lead time and three years of stability

 15	mandated by Section 202 of the Clean Air Act.	Those

 16	requirements are essential elements of new vehicle

 17	emission standards whether issued by EPA or

 18	California.	And Section 202(b) clearly incorporates

 19	them by reference.

 20	Now, importantly, the human health and other

  1	cleaner, greener new vehicles is to replace dirtier

  2	and less efficient vehicles in their for-hire

  3	government and private fleets.

  4	It's also important that New Emissions

  5	Standards govern only what vehicle manufacturers can

  6	build and sell to their dealers, which leaves it up

  7	the dealers to get them in the hands of trucking

  8	customers.	The dealers are experts at doing that.

  9	That is evidenced by the fact that only about

 10	50 percent of the vehicles on the road today meet the

 11	existing 2010 NOx standards, the fleet turnover

 12	process can take time.	And fleet turnover is critical

 13	to real air quality improvements.	That the success of

 14	New Emission Mandates depends on getting new vehicles,

 15	sold and leased and on the road.

 16	Congress set out the minimum lead time

 17	stability period to help ensure that New Emission

 18	Standards result in vehicles that perform well at

 19	prices that customer can afford.	They must lower

 20	emissions but also must be affordable, dependable and

  1	critical to the prospective trucking customers who buy

  2	these tools to do specific jobs.

  3	So why is Lead Time Stability Mandates

  4	essential.	Why did Congress actually require them?

  5	In the context of the Rules California is asking for

  6	Waivers for, adequate lead time should help reduce the

  7	costs associated with the Warranty and Maintenance

  8	Mandates.	Our concern is that customers will find

  9	that these mandates are cost prohibitive for their

 10	particular duty cycles and use cases.

 11	So remember, trucking customers have choices.

 12	They can hold on to their older vehicles longer or buy

 13	used trucks to avoid cost prohibitive new truck

 14	prices.	That's nothing that we want since we all seek

 15	fleet turnover and air quality benefits.

 16	ADD is concerned that the Omnibus Low NOx

 17	Rule moves too far too fast.	And again, potential

 18	vehicle customers will find that its costs are

 19	prohibitive and that they will have real concerns

 20	regarding fuel economy and dependability.

  1	innovative technology trucks, our dealers are

  2	extremely excited about the products the manufacturers

  3	are bringing to market including plug-in electric,

  4	hybrids, hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cell and natural gas.

  5	Our dealers are investing millions in the

  6	infrastructure, training and equipment necessary to

  7	sell and service these vehicles but at same time they

  8	recognize that these vehicles.	But at the same time,

  9	they recognize that these vehicles are currently too

 10	expensive for many potential trucking customers.

 11	And, in addition, trucking customers will

 12	have to make their own investments in the

 13	infrastructure and other support systems necessary for

 14	these vehicles.

 15	MR. DICKINSON:	Excuse me, Mr. Greenhaus, you

 16	have 30 seconds please.

 17	THE WITNESS:	Perfect.	Adequate time should

 18	enable the cost of these technologies to decrease the

 19	critical infrastructure investments to be made and

 20	should afford sufficient time for Federal and state

  1	consideration.

  2	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  3	I see that some folks have joined who were scheduled

  4	to speak a little bit earlier.	So we will return to

  5	Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez.	I have promoted you to a

  6	panelist.	I believe you need to accept that.

  7	Perfect.

  8	Thank you so much and please go ahead and

  9	state your name and affiliation for the record.

 10	MS. CARRASCO-GONZALEZ:	Good afternoon.	My

 11	name is Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez.	I am Chispa

 12	National Director and I'm based out of Tijuana and

 13	Albuquerque, New Mexico.	My pronouns she/her.	I am

 14	thank you so much for taking the time to have us speak

 15	today.	I am calling in as, not only as a community

 16	organizer, but as a mother, an aunt, a daughter who

 17	grew up in the South Valley of Albuquerque and really

 18	close to an area where there is high traffic of

 19	heavy-duty vehicles and a lot of pollution.

  1	really address centuries of environment racism

  2	especially in states where low income communities are

  3	more likely to reside.

  4	I know that not only my family and my

  5	community and others in my neighborhood where I grew

  6	up, were faced by systemic racism and discrimination

  7	that was directly tied to where we lived and how we

  8	were economically and socially segregated and

  9	redlined; and therefore breathing dirty air that was

 10	coming not only from the train tracks right next to

 11	our homes, but also the heavy traffic of heavy-duty

 12	vehicles.

 13	I know that many of these states have

 14	followed California's lead, right, in being able to

 15	adopt stringent standards.	And we urge that the EPA

 16	to ensure and approve California's Waiver and go

 17	beyond the bare minimum to achieve the

 18	transformational change that our communities need.

 19	Not just because it is -- it is imminent that we

  1	for allowing me to share my thoughts today.

  2	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  3	As a reminder, please speak slowly and clearly so that

  4	the court reporter and interpreters can capture your

  5	comments accurately.

  6	The next two speakers will be speaking in

  7	Spanish so, as a reminder, I want to share that all

  8	attendees must select their preferred language via the

  9	interpretation icon at the bottom of your screen.	If

 10	you are providing testimony today, please make sure

 11	that you are speaking in the language of the channel

 12	you are listening to.	For example, listening to

 13	English while speaking Spanish could prevent other

 14	participants from hearing your statement in your

 15	language of choice.

 16	The next two speakers will be testifying in

 17	Spanish.	I want to allow for a moment for our

 18	interpreters to switch channels and translate the

 19	testimony in English.	Is the interpreter ready?

               1	Carlos Guardado.)	Good afternoon.	My name is Juan

  2	Carlos Guardado.	I am an organizer of Community

              3	Organizer of Chispa, Nevada.	But I also do it as a

  4	citizen of the state of Nevada here in Las Vegas.

  5	I would like to say that our mission at

              6	Chispa is to empower the power of the community, in

  7	particular low income ones, to be able to get climatic

  8	justice and health in our communities.	Especially and

  9	primarily protections for the environment.

 10	I would like to share that approximately

 11	seven years ago I arrived here in the United States

 12	and I lived, as I mentioned before, in Las Vegas, the

 13	state of Nevada.	When I had only been here for two

 14	years living in Nevada I started to suffer from

 15	respiratory problems and that took me to my primary

 16	care doctor.	Let me tell you that ultimately, after

 17	some evaluations, the doctor mentioned to me that

 18	basically the problems and what I was suffering from

 19	was precisely because of the poor quality of the air

 20	that we have here in Nevada.	But just like me, many,

  1	that the air contamination is the primary cause of

              2	illnesses and death and particularly with people of

  3	color who have greater probabilities,

  4	disproportionately greater of breathing dangerous air

  5	and thus suffering health problems endangering their

  6	own lives.

  7	Unfortunately it is communities of color of

  8	low income the ones that are primarily affected due to

  9	air pollution, particularly in very contaminated

 10	states.	I would like to note that many states have

 11	followed the example of California in adopting more

 12	strict standards.	And that's why denying the

 13	exemption would have disastrous effects in the whole

 14	country and would delay considerably the federal

 15	objectives and the state ones to reduce pollution.

 16	In the last four decades EPA has granted

 17	exemptions to California more than 50 times.	And

 18	granting it one more time would be in-line with the

 19	established precedent by this agency.	This is how --

 20	what we're requesting for the Board of California to

  1	Federal current standards that do not go beyond the

  2	minimum requirements.

  3	Among other things we must remind everybody

  4	that these Regulations favor the transition for trucks

  5	and, and buses that can overcome centuries of racial

  6	inequality.	Particularly in states where it is more

  7	probable that they live in underserved communities we

  8	have to help them face environmental racism.	And they

  9	have to breathe unhealthy air, and they have no

 10	choice.

 11	In such a way we should consider and have EPA

 12	approve the exemption from California to comply with

 13	the objectives of equity, Justice 40 of the

 14	administration of Biden/Harris and Environmental

 15	Justice is racial justice.	And our communities of

 16	color need this help urgently.	The standards of

 17	emissions in California are one of the necessary

 18	components to comply with these objectives.

 19	Thank you very much to the panel for allowing

  1	I'm a Community Organizer of Chispa, Nevada, a

  2	Community Program.	Chispa, Nevada has to develop the

  3	power of community in Las Vegas, to have more control

  4	over the decisions that affect our environment.

  5	Today I am here to represent hundreds of our

  6	members who are jointly affected by climate change in

  7	Nevada and its changes in extreme heat, air pollution,

  8	drought, fires.

  9	As a community organizer, I speak every day

 10	with dozens of Latinos in Nevada, and we speak about

 11	how the environment is changing and how we're feeling

 12	in this community.

 13	THE MODERATOR:	Excuse me, sorry to

 14	interrupt, can we ask the speaker to pause for a

 15	moment move to the Spanish channel because we can hear

 16	and we want to be sure to capture his testimony

 17	accurately.	Thank you.

 18	THE INTERPRETER:	I am speaking in the

 19	Spanish channel. I am on the Spanish channel.

                   1	THE INTERPRETER:	Can you hear me now?	Is

  2	that better?

                   3	THE MODERATOR:	Maybe we can try again and

  4	see if it works.	Maybe she can switch to English and

  5	back to Spanish to see if that doesn't reset it

  6	perhaps.

  7	THE INTERPRETER:	How's this?	So, should I

  8	continue?

  9	THE MODERATOR:	Yes, now we don't hear him.

 10	That will work.	If you would like to restart his

 11	remarks, I'll restart the timer.

 12	THE INTERPRETER:	Okay.	Good morning.	My

 13	name is Rodrigo Gonzalez.	I am a organizer for

 14	Chispa, Nevada.	It's a program of the Alliance for

 15	Conservation.	Chispa, Nevada, is determined to

 16	develop the power of the Latin community in Las Vegas

 17	to obtain control more over the decisions that affect

 18	our environment.

 19	Today I am here to represent the hundreds of

 20	our members who are acutely affected by the climate

  1	The Latinos, we're more predisposed to suffer

              2	of asthma and other respiratory ailments given that

  3	our community has been obligated to live in

  4	neighborhoods that are very close to areas of

              5	contamination such as roadways.	This contamination

  6	has been worsened by the climate change.	We have

              7	volunteers who suffer with problems with breathing,

         8	with high smog areas.	There's a lady who's over 80

              9	years old, one of our most active and enthusiastic

 10	volunteers.	She is having difficulty to cooperate

 11	with Chispa, Nevada, because of the contamination in

 12	Las Vegas.

                 13	We also have members who have children and

             14	they cannot go out to play or participate in sports

 15	given pollution and given the great heat.	So I also

             16	have volunteers who have their children here in Las

             17	Vegas like Mrs. Angela Sanchez because there is not

 18	enough water to keep our communities in these past two

 19	decades.

 20	EPA has to approve the exemption in

  1	trucks and buses we can significantly reduce pollution

  2	that threatens the lives in our communities.

  3	EPA has the power to approve this exemption

  4	as it has done in the past.	And the clean our air and

  5	it can save thousands of lives.	We also ask for a

  6	rapid transition to electric school buses, to clean

  7	public transportation, clean water, better

  8	conservation of our water.	And above that, we demand

  9	justice, Environmental Justice to stop contamination

 10	and those who are contaminating.

 11	The manufacturers of vehicles have the

 12	technology to this.	They can comply with strict

 13	standards and many recent analyses have demonstrated

 14	that these trucks with Zero-Emissions are less

 15	expensive to purchase and operate than diesel trucks

 16	within the framework for these standards.

 17	California is supporting Environmental

 18	Justice and fighting climatic change and air pollution

 19	through its strict standard emissions.	The

 20	Regulations for California comply with the law of

  1	are affected and who are dying because of air

  2	pollution.

  3	Our families deserve to breathe clean air.

  4	Our children deserve a future that is healthy and a

  5	sustainable planet.

  6	Thank you very much for the opportunity and

  7	this is all.	Thank you very much.

  8	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  9	The next speaker will be Jayla Atkinson.

 10	State your name and affiliation for the record.

 11	MS. ATKINSON:	Hello.	My name is Jayla

 12	Atkinson.	I am a resident of Kansas City, Missouri

 13	and the Environmental Justice Educator for Clean Air

 14	Now, which is an Environmental Justice organization in

 15	Kansas City.

 16	I'm grateful for this opportunity.	And today

 17	I urge the EPA to give California the authority to

 18	enforce the Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty

 19	Omnibus Standard.	Giving California this approval

 20	would set an example of what other states can

                 1	We live in a community plagued by cancer and

  2	other illnesses.	Yet most fail to realize these

  3	illnesses are caused by pollution that we could be

           4	protected from.	We're not alone.	Communities across

             5	the country, we see the corporations capitalizing on

  6	our deaths.	I fear every day that I will face

             7	excruciating and fatal diseases later in life if I am

  8	not protected from these sources of pollution.	I fear

             9	for the lives of every child out there and have been

 10	very moved by the testimony I saw yesterday from a

 11	child.

 12	Approving these rules would reduce the impact

 13	and set a standard for what can work besides what

 14	we're doing right now.	Because obviously this is not

 15	working out for us.	People are dying every day.	And

 16	while the EPA gets to go home and get away from

 17	pollution, some people have no escape.	You have an

 18	opportunity here to save people's lives.	Together we

 19	can advance Zero-Emission for cleaner air and

 20	prioritize overburdened, disadvantaged Environmental

  1	California, but across the nation.	We deserve

  2	stronger public notices and more time to ensure

  3	participation and clarity on language and translation

  4	access.	Because any decision you make can not be made

  5	without us.	That's all.

  6	Thanks for the opportunity to testify.

  7	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

  8	As a reminder if you are speaking today, you

  9	will receive the notification on your screen that you

 10	are being promoted to the role of panelist shortly

 11	prior to your speaking time.	You must click to accept

 12	that invitation to be able to unmute when you are

 13	called to testify.	This will also allow you to turn

 14	on your camera, which we encourage you to do.

 15	Speakers connected by telephone should unmute

 16	their phones by pressing Star-6 when called to

 17	testify.

 18	Also, please be sure to speak slowly and

 19	clearly so the court reporter and interpreters can

 20	accurately capture your testimony.	If you cannot get

  1	State your name and affiliation for the record.

  2	MS. IACHETTA:	Good afternoon.	My name is

  3	Melissa Iachetta.	I am the Program Manager at New

  4	Yorkers for Clean Power.	And also a member of

  5	Electrify NY Coalition.	NYCP in the New York state

  6	campaign that aims to help transition New Yorkers with

  7	clean air economy.	To achieve this, we primarily

  8	focus on the power, building and transportation

  9	sectors.	I'm here today to talk about the

 10	transportation sector.

 11	Transportation accounts for about 20 percent

 12	of greenhouse gas emissions in New York State.	And

 13	the transportation share of total GHG emissions is

 14	rising.	Transportation GHG emissions have increased

 15	16 percent since 1990.	While economy wide emissions

 16	have fallen.	Much of the increase comes from diesel

 17	trucks and buses which have an outside contribution on

 18	emissions despite representing a tiny fraction of the

 19	overall vehicle fleet.

  1	Federal health-based air quality standards.

  2	Forty percent of New Yorkers live in counties that

  3	scored an "F" on the American Lung Association's most

  4	recent State of the Air report.

  5	Growing up in Queens, where my county has an

  6	F score, I was rushed to the hospital one too many

  7	times because of my asthma.	Once I moved further

  8	north to attend school in the City New Paltz, out of

  9	the city, my asthma improved.	I have not been

 10	hospitalized for asthma attack since leaving the city.

 11	It has been well established that diesel

 12	trucks are a major source of this local air pollution.

 13	And emissions can cause or exacerbate asthma and other

 14	respiratory conditions.	Eliminating local exposures

 15	is a critical public health strategy.

 16	The state modeling shows that at least

 17	40 percent of new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales

 18	must be Zero-Emission by 2030 to remain on target for

 19	CLCPA 2030 and 2050 reduced emission targets.	The

             1	significantly reduce NOx pm 2.5 and GHG emissions as

  2	internal combustion engines vehicles will be replaced

  3	by Zero-Emission vehicles.	Zero-Emission vehicles

  4	produce no emissions, reduce particulate matter

  5	emissions for brake wear, and have lower upstream

  6	emissions.

  7	According to a separate analysis, the actual

  8	will result in cumulative reduction of 6.7 billion

              9	gallons of diesel and gasoline.	By 2050, fleet-wide

 10	annual NOx and pm 2.5 emissions are estimated to

 11	decrease by 46 percent and 38 percent respectively.

 12	Between 2020 and 2050, the ACT is actually anticipated

 13	to save 237 lives, avoid 231 hospital admission and

 14	emergency room visits, and prevent over 155,000 other

 15	respiratory incidents; nearly three billion in

 16	monetized health benefits.

 17	The EPA must fully grant California's Waiver

 18	Request for states like New York to address compelling

 19	and extraordinary air quality issues.	It is critical

 20	that EPA adhere to a decade-long precedent and fully

1
  pollution cannot wait.
 I thank you for your time.

2

              MS. PHILLIPS:

 Thank you for your comment.

  3	The next speaker listed is Susan Hendershot,

  4	who has already spoken.	I am going to move on to the

  5	next speaker.	Theral Golden.	Please state your name

  6	and affiliation for the record.

  7	Theral, we're seeing you but we don't hear

  8	you.	Are you speaking?	Hmm.	Yeah, we're not hearing

              9	you.	Uhm, it looks like you are unmuted.	Theral, I

 10	know others have had this issue before and they logged

 11	out of Zoom and logged back on.	If you want to try

 12	that, okay?	Thank you.	Sorry about that.	We will

 13	get back to you.

 14	So we will go ahead and move on to, for the

 15	time being, Nicole Rice.	Please state your name and

 16	affiliation for the record.

 17	MS. RICE:	Hello, Nicole Rice, California

 18	Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition.

 19	Good afternoon.	My name is Nicole Rice, and

 20	I am the President of the California Natural Gas

  1	for both the Advanced Clean Truck Rule and the Omnibus

  2	Rule, but only with the requirement that the

  3	definition of near zero include Low NOx trucks powered

  4	by renewable fuels.

  5	Low NOx natural gas engines are already

  6	certified by the California Air Resources Board to

  7	meet the existing optional Low NOx standard of

  8	.02 grams per brake horsepower hour.	And the engines

  9	are powered by renewable natural gas, a fuel that on

 10	average delivered a 33.33 negative carbon intensity in

 11	2021 based on CARB's own data.

 12	We agree that many Californians are

 13	needlessly suffering from the serious impacts caused

 14	by diesel exhausts causing cancer, respiratory

 15	disease, and reproductive harm.	In fact, emissions

 16	from heavy-duty trucks are the number one source of

 17	pollution in the South coast and San Joaquin Valley

 18	Air Bases, regions that suffer from the worst air

 19	quality in the country.	And are the only two extreme

 20	nonattainment zones under the Federal Clean Air Act.

                  1	Sadly, absent our requested amendment, the

  2	Advanced Clean Truck and Omnibus Rules will fall short

              3	of ensuring that our communities reach the maximum

  4	reductions feasible today, especially for those living

  5	in diesel death zones.	To be clear, while we're here

  6	today to support California's Waiver Request for both

  7	the Advanced Clean Truck and Omnibus Rules, we

              8	strongly encourage the U.S. EPA to require CARB to

  9	include Low NOx trucks powered by renewable low carbon

            10	fuels on the list of near zero alternatives, instead

 11	of allowing that list to remain exclusively limited to

 12	hybrid and plug-in hybrid heavy-duty truck options.

 13	Our request is not an attempt to undermine

            14	the longer term strategy for Zero-Emission vehicles.

 15	Our member companies are engaged in every aspect of

 16	advancing clean transportational alternatives.	And

 17	being market experts, they know the shortcomings of

 18	the two Regulations in question.

 19	We know that Zero-Emission vehicles are only

 20	Zero Emission if the power source generated to change

  1	for commercial availability at Zero Emission trucks

  2	are speculative.	The California Hybrid and

  3	Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project

  4	also known as HEIP, currently has half a billion

  5	dollars of unredeemed vouchers sitting in the bank for

  6	more than a year waiting for electric vehicles despite

  7	claims that these vehicles are readily available.

  8	We also know that charging infrastructure is

  9	key to successful implementation.	Yet the Advanced

 10	Clean Truck rules fails to address this issue.	Last

 11	November, the California Energy Commission stated that

 12	76 percent of Southern California Edison circuits and

 13	69 percent of San Diego Gas and Electric Circuits have

 14	less than a megawatt of capacity available.	This

 15	means that utility upgrades will be needed before

 16	heavy-duty ZEVS -- heavy-duty ZEV charging can be

 17	installed.

 18	So in conclusion, there is a better way to

 19	implement this transition that's not technology

 20	forcing and seeks to find the most cost effective way

                  1	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

                  2	I do not see Theral Golden on the attendee

            3	list.	I'm not sure if you joined us.	If you have,

  4	please raise your hand if you are able to do so.

                  5	Also, the next speaker listed, Brett Barry,

              6	has notified us that they are not speaking anymore.

             7	Which takes us to Todd Campbell and Valencia Bednar.

  8	I'm not seeing your names on the attendee list either.

              9	If you have joined under another name, please raise

 10	your hand using the raised hand function in Zoom, or

 11	click Star-9 on your phone to do so.

 12	MR. DICKINSON:	I think Theral Golden is back

 13	on.

 14	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you, David.

 15	All right.	Theral, the floor is yours.

            16	Theral, one thing also, if you can hear, I see you --

 17	great.	One thing, we still can't hear.	Check to make

 18	sure you are in the English channel at the bottom of

 19	your screen.	You should see an option to listen in

 20	English.	Are you on that?	Hmm.

  1	are able to hear us, we just can't hear you.	Okay.

  2	Do any of the EPA panelists know what else we

  3	could do?

                  4	MS. MROZ:	On the bottom left-hand corner of

           5	the screen allows you to mute or non-mute.	There's a

              6	little arrow.	If you hover over it, it should allow

  7	you to switch to phone audio.	So we'll still hear the

  8	video, but the audio will come through your phone.

                 9	You can call yourself, you know, or it might

 10	just be an issue with your microphone or the wonkiness

 11	of Zoom.	I apologize for the technical issues.	Try

 12	to make sure we can hear you.

 13	MR. DICKINSON:	Jessie, maybe if he switched

 14	to phone audio.	Maybe you can explain that.

 15	MS. MROZ:	When you click that button to

 16	switch to phone audio, it will give you the option to

 17	call yourself and then the audio -- basically it would

 18	switch the audio on the microphone to your phone

 19	instead of the microphone on your computer.	Does that

 20	mean promote the phone to panelist as well?

  1	E-Mailed me today.	I can resend you the dial-in

  2	information as well.	I'll do that right now.

                  3	Thanks everyone for your patience as Theral

  4	is figuring that out.	I believe we have gone through

  5	everyone's names here.	So I did want to check to see

  6	if there was anyone scheduled to speak earlier during

  7	this panel or before that if you would like to speak,

  8	you are welcome to raise your hand at this time or

  9	dial Star-9 if you joined us by phone.

 10	I see Theral has a phone.	I'm not seeing

 11	anyone with their hand raised.	So we'll just give it

 12	a few more minutes here.

 13	MR. DICKINSON:	Yup.	We'll figure this out.

 14	THE MODERATOR:	I'm seeing a hand raised now.

 15	Ana Ramos, I have promoted you to panelist.	So please

 16	state your name and affiliation for the record.

 17	THE INTERPRETER:	(Interpreting for Ana

 18	Ramos) My name is Ana Ramos.	I am from Kansas City.

 19	And I am with the organization Freedom Now.	I was

 20	supposed to be here yesterday but I wasn't able to

  1	the states in the country, all of us who want to

  2	follow the example regarding contamination and how it

  3	affects climate change.

  4	I live in the neighborhood of Arborville and

  5	it is a very vulnerable community that has been

  6	affected for decades due to pollution, inherited

  7	pollution and the industry that we have all around us

  8	in my neighborhood.	Just two blocks away from where I

  9	live, trucks go by constantly, uhm, heavy-duty trucks

 10	and buses, approximately 150 trucks per hour.	This

 11	contaminates the environment of our neighborhood very

 12	much so and it causes very -- effects to the health of

 13	our community.

 14	We are -- the life of our inhabitants are

 15	being affected.	They are living 20, 22 years less

 16	than other communities surrounded by this pollution.

 17	I believe EPA should support these changes that are

 18	presented in California because other states are going

 19	to be affected, such as my own -- my city, my

 20	neighborhood in particular that's surrounded with so

  1	Kansas City.	Therefore, I am offering my support and

  2	our community is with California and we hope EPA takes

  3	decisions based not only on what the company's

  4	industries and costs and whatever they think --

  5	consider that's important, but more important is to

  6	take care of the health of all the inhabitants of

  7	every state.

  8	And I believe what will happen if we all

  9	unite and support every state that wants to make

 10	radical changes regarding the environment.	I really

 11	thank you all for your support.	Thank you all and I

 12	hope to hear good news and decisions based on people

 13	and not on industries.	Those are the ones that should

 14	be made.	Thank you so much for your time.

 15	THE MODERATOR:	Thank you for your comment.

 16	I see that Theral -- there is a phone number 1562.	Is

 17	that you?

 18	MS. RAMOS:	No.

 19	THE MODERATOR:	Sorry, not Ana, Theral, the

 20	next speaker.	We can hear you but you are echoing.

  1	MR. DICKINSON:	Do we have his E-Mail

  2	address?

  3	THE MODERATOR:	I believe so, right, Jessie?

  4	MR. DICKINSON:	Why don't we E-Mail the other

  5	web page that we have and in three dockets and the

  6	other web page that we have and can give him full

  7	access to all.

  8	THE MODERATOR:	If you mute your actual audio

  9	on your laptop or computer it won't be echoing.	We

 10	could take your verbal testimony.	We certainly want

 11	to give you the opportunity to do so if we can.

 12	You may have to press Star-6 on your phone.

 13	MR. GOLDEN:	It says I'm unmuted.	I unmuted

 14	the laptop.	Same thing is happening.

 15	THE MODERATOR:	Unfortunately, it is not the

 16	microphone.	I'll send you the information.	So sorry

 17	about this.

 18	MR. GOLDEN:	Okay.	No problem.	Thank you

 19	very much.

 20	THE MODERATOR:	I'm so sorry.	We'll

  1	Zoom or dial Star-9 if you would like to give your

  2	testimony.

  3	I am not seeing any hands raised.	And it is

  4	3:13.	So, I'll pass it back over to you, Karl.	Are

  5	you ready to conclude the hearing?

  6	MR. SIMON:	I think we are.	Thank you Tuana.

  7	Thank you all to Jessie, Josh, and all the EPA

  8	panelists, interpreters, our court reporter and our

  9	captioner for your support for this two-day public

 10	hearing.

 11	As I see on the screen before us, this is the

 12	information to submit written testimony and other

 13	public comments.	You can send it to the agency at

 14	Regulations.gov.	These are the docket numbers to

 15	include in your sent comments.	So that we can then

 16	make sure they get an appropriate spot for our review.

 17	The comment period will be open until August 2nd.

 18	So there is time to put together additional thoughts.

 19	The Agency greatly appreciates both the

 20	written testimony that will come and we've gotten

  1	now.

  2	With that, I will close the hearing

  3	officially and hope everyone has a pleasant rest of

  4	the day and enjoyable holiday weekend running up to

  5	Independence Day.	Thank you.

  6	(The Public Hearing was concluded at 3:15

  7	p.m.)

                                        8

                                        9

                                       10

                                       11

                                       12

                                       13

                                       14

                                       15

                                       16

                                       17

                                       18

                                       19

                                       20
                                       

1

 CERTIFICATE OF REPORTER

2

  STATE OF MICHIGAN

      )

3

      ) SS

4

  COUNTY OF OAKLAND

      )

5

  6	I, Robin D. Gadwa, Certified Shorthand

  7	Reporter, do hereby certify that the above hearing

  8	was taken before me at the time and place hereinbefore

  9	set forth; that the foregoing statements made by

 10	the speakers were duly recorded by me stenographically

 11	and reduced to computer transcription; that this is a

 12	true, full and correct transcript of my stenographic

 13	notes so taken; and that I am not related to, nor of

 14	counsel to any of the parties, nor interested in the

 15	event of this cause.

 16

 17

 18	ROBIN D. GADWA, CSR-2607, RPR, FPR, FAPR

 19	Notary Public

 20	Oakland County, Michigan