Dianne Feinstein: “today marks Earth Day. It is a day to celebrate our past achievements in protecting the environment. It is also a day, I…”

“today marks Earth Day. It is a day to celebrate our past achievements in protecting the environment. It is also a day, I hope, to rededicate ourselves to environmental protection. I think, without question, over the last 26 years since the first Earth Day in 1970, we have made enormous environmental gains. We have taken steps to clean up our air and our water, cut toxic emissions from factories by 50 percent--that is in half--and we have taken steps to prevent pollution that threatens our children's health. I remember when my own city, San Francisco, used to pollute the bay and the ocean through 40 different outlets all around the city. The water in the San Francisco Bay has been cleaned up. Dungeness crab has come back to the bay. And I know that this is appreciated by all our citizens: Lead levels in children's blood has been cut by 70 percent. We have worked to protect our remaining wild places and to wisely manage irreplaceable natural resources. But in spite of these accomplishments, much, much work remains to be done. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 50 million Americans every year drink tap water which fails to meet at least one Federal health standard. About 1 million people each year become ill from drinking unsafe tap water, the Centers for Disease Control reports. Toxic air pollutants need to be regulated to protect public health.”