"Because of a generation of bipartisan effort we do have cleaner water and air, lead levels in children s blood has been cut by 70 percent, toxic emissions from factories cut in half. Lake Erie was dead, and now it s a thriving resource. But 10 million children under 12 still live within four miles of a toxic waste dump. A third of us breathe air that endangers our health. And in too many communities, the water is not safe to drink. We still have much to do."

President Clinton, State of the Union Address
January 23, 1996

A Record of Accomplishment:

Ensuring Public Health

• Made the air we breathe cleaner by issuing new standards to cut toxic pollution from chemical plants by 90% and dangerous incinerator emissions by 98%.

• Fought attempts in Congress to roll back the progress made in ensuring safe food and water for our families.

• Issued new policy to control E. coli bacteria contamination in meat.

• Expanded the public's right-to-know about toxic releases and required polluters to disclose information to the public.

• Ensured compliance with environmental safeguards by toughening EPA's enforcement programs.

• Required drinking water systems to test for and eliminate dangerous contaminants.

• Introduced comprehensive Safe Drinking Water and Superfund reforms.

Protecting Our Natural Resources

• Fought attempts to close national parks and lift the ban on offshore oil drilling.

• Committed $1.5 billion over seven years to help restore the unique Florida Everglades.

• Broke through decades of conflict and negotiated a consensus plan to protect and allocate California Bay-Delta water.

• Protected Yellowstone National Park by withdrawing land from new mining claims.

Common Sense Reforms to Environmental Programs

• Changed EPA rules and procedures to reduce paperwork requirements for businesses by 10 million hours.

• Reformed wetlands and endangered species programs to better protect the environment while lessening any adverse impact on homeowners.

• Launched a Brownfields Initiative to return land to productive use by providing tax incentives to clean-up old industrial waste sites.

The Challenges ahead:

• Challenging Congress to abandon proposals to force taxpayers to pick up the tab for environmental cleanup -- polluters should pay.

• Challenging Congress to re-examine and reverse those policies that would endanger our health and safety by weakening health and safety programs such as safe drinking water and clean air.

• Challenging American businesses to take greater initiative in protecting the environment.

• Replacing one-size-fits-all regulations with result-focused programs.

• Continuing to work with state and community leaders and businesses to find better ways to protect our natural resources and provide economic opportunities for all Americans.

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