Bill Clinton: “Good morning. Two weeks ago I reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to environmental protection and announced our plan to…”

“Good morning. Two weeks ago I reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to environmental protection and announced our plan to protect more than 40 million acres of roadless area in our national forests. Today I'm announcing new actions we're taking to protect our air, our water, and some of our most precious lands. One of the simplest but most potent tools in our fight against pollution is public information. By requiring industries to tell communities how much they pollute the air and water, we empower citizens to fight back and create a powerful incentive for industry to pollute less. Remarkably, in the decades since the public's right-to-know about chemical releases became the law of the land, industry's toxic pollution has fallen nearly 50 percent. Today, my administration is again expanding the public's right-to- know. We're acting to protect families against some of the most dangerous chemicals ever known, including mercury, dioxin, and PCB's. These chemicals are troubling for two reasons. First, they don't break down easily; instead, they build up in the environment and in our bodies. Second, many of them heighten the risk of cancer or other illness, even at very low doses. Right now companies are required to disclose their uses of these chemicals only if they handle huge quantities. Beginning January 1st, we'll require companies to inform the public even if they're using much smaller quantities, in some cases just 10 pounds a year.…”