Earth Notes

[Levy.Dave at epamail.epa.gov]

               Environmental Protection Agency:
                     Earth Day - Every Day
                         Talking Points


     Thirty years have passed since the first Earth Day, in 1970,  when millions
 of people
     joined in one of the largest demonstrations of public opinion in the
history of our country.
     That day, 20 million Americans -- from all walks of life -- participated in
 rallies,
     demonstrations, and teach-ins to show their support for the protection of
our health and
     our environment.

     Few people who participated that day realized the profound affect their
actions would
     have on society.  In fact, their actions helped launch no less than a
sweeping reordering of
     our nation's priorities.  That day, a new dimension of concern was added to
 our way of
     life, a recognition of our responsibility to act as stewards of the
environment that would
     be inherited by our children and grandchildren.

     That first Earth Day was founded on the key principle that the American
people, coming
     together, could create incredible change to ensure a cleaner environment
and healthier
     communities.

     Over the past 30 years, millions of people have participated in Earth Day
events.  The
     numbers grow every year because Americans are concerned about pollution in
the
     communities where they raise their children; the air they breathe; the
water they drink;
     the food they eat.

     The Environmental Protection Agency shares a 30th anniversary with Earth
Day.  The
     spark provided to public consciousness every April 22 illuminates the
day-in, day-out
     work of thousands of EPA employees.  Every day, the Environmental
Protection Agency
     works on behalf of public health.  Each day, thousands of dedicated and
talented EPA
     employees safeguard our environment.

     Since the first Earth Day, we have made great progress.

     In one generation, we have reversed the ravages of more than a century of
environmental
     degradation and we have begun to restore and protect our treasured natural
heritage.  We
     have done this while building the strongest economy in our history.

     Today, we no longer have rivers catching on fire.  Bodies of water that
used to be
     contaminated and unsafe are now vital, thriving places where people swim
and fish.
     Others are on the rebound.


     Our skies are clearer.  In city after city, the air is healthier to
breathe.  Today, millions
     more Americans are breathing cleaner, healthier air that meets tough public
 health
     standards.  We have taken some of the most aggressive enforcement actions
ever taken on
     behalf of clean air   like the one against all old, coal-fired utilities.
And we have taken
     steps to make all vehicles up to 95 percent cleaner and called for low
sulfur fuels to run
     them.

     Our water is safer to drink.  Ninety percent of Americans now receive tap
water from
     drinking water systems that meet tough health standards.

     Our communities are safer for our families.  We're cleaning up more of the
nation's
     hazardous waste dumps.  In the last seven years, we have tripled the pace
of toxic waste
     site cleanups.  More Superfund sites have been cleaned up -- and cleaned up
 more
     affordably -- in this Administration than in all previous years combined.

     Our communities are making strong comebacks.  In city after city,
communities are
     revitalizing their neighborhoods through brownfields grants, which have
brought
     decaying areas of our cities back to vibrant economic life, leveraged over
$1 billion in
     new investments, created thousands of jobs, and expanded the tax base for
local
     communities.

     Our foods are safer for children and families.  For the first time, we have
 taken action to
     reduce significantly special risks posed to children by severely limiting
pesticides widely
     used on the foods children eat.

     In cities and neighborhoods across the country, Americans are accepting
their
     responsibility to join together   with communities, businesses, schools,
and all levels of
     government   to address their local environmental challenges and build a
brighter, safer,
     healthier world to pass on to their children.

     That's what the new generation of environmental protection is all about.
That is the
     Clinton-Gore Administration's vision for the environment   protective
standards that are
     second to none, vigorous enforcement of those standards, and giving the
American people
     the tools to reduce pollution in their own communities.

     And our work is not done.  Despite our progress, we cannot rest.  In an
industrial society,
     we will always face tremendous environmental and public health challenges.


     Today, forty percent of our rivers, lakes, and streams are still not
suitable for fishing or
     swimming.  And millions of Americans still live in cities that do not meet
tough air
     quality standards.

     That's why all Americans must rededicate their commitment to work together
for a
     cleaner, safer environment every day.   This commitment is important to
your families.
     It's important to your neighborhoods...your communities... and the country.

     Every day, EPA elevates the ethic of Earth Day in our efforts to make our
air and water
     cleaner, turn toxic waste sites into productive, job-creating spaces, and
give families the
     information they need to protect their children from environmental hazards.

     Earth Day has become a celebration of hope and confidence and a reminder of
 the
     challenges we still must meet.  The American people have always expressed a
 confidence
     that this nation did not need to make a choice between a growing economy,
full of
     opportunity, and environmental protection that ensures that the air we
breathe, the water
     we drink, and the food we eat are safe. You know what? They were right.

     The story of Earth Day is the story of the growing environmental awareness
of all
     Americans -- people coming together with the understanding that we share
more than our
     air, our water, and our land.  We share a future.  And because we do, we
must also share
     responsibility in protecting that air, water and land -- keeping them clean
 and safe,
     generation to generation.  Our children and grandchildren should expect no
less.