Every day, moms across the country get together – as teams, task forces, coffee klatches, etc. – to discuss, plan and organize projects and activities for the benefit of their families, schools and communities. That’s exactly what MomsRising’s Sarah Francis and I did yesterday.

The meeting place, however, was not the school cafeteria or the local library. It was the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and our “mom committee” included the likes of Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, Mocha Moms Co-Founder and President Emerita Cheli English-Figaro, Mocha Moms National Co-Director of Community Service LaShaun Martin, Julie Diaz Asper of LATism, and of course EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Thanking the EPA for Clean Air on January 18, 2012

The immediate reason for the gathering was for MomsRising, joined by Mocha Moms and LATism, to deliver to Administrator Jackson thousands of thank you cards from parents across the country, who are grateful for and ecstatic about the EPA’s new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. These standards will protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic pollutants, such as arsenic, acid gas and cyanide, preventing an estimated 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and 6,300 cases of acute bronchitis. As an asthma mom, I’m certain that a couple of those asthma cases that will never happen has my daughter’s name on them.

But however great the new standards, this particular mom committee’s work is far from done. Businesses and other profit-motivated interests will continue to do their best to weaken the standards and prevent the EPA from enforcing a host of other regulations that protect American kids from environmental hazards like unsafe food and contaminated water. Moms and dads will have to continue to be vigilant and active in order to make sure that our kids’ health remains the United States’ top priority. If we don’t, who will?

While local PTA meetings and fundraising drives will remain a big part of my life, I’m making time for the national mom committee for clean air. All you moms and dads out there, please join me. Only by working together can we make sure this project succeeds!