Kendrick Meek: “Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Earth Day, I rise to talk about some of the successes and failures since the first Earth…”

“Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Earth Day, I rise to talk about some of the successes and failures since the first Earth Day in 1970. I have a vivid recollection of Earth Day and what it has done for all populations. As a result of the increased awareness of environmental problems that was a direct result of Earth Day, the landmark legislation to create the Environmental Protection Agency passed the United States Senate in 1970 without a single dissenting vote, ushering in a new era of America's stewardship of our air, our water, and our land. Mr. Speaker, we have made great strides over the years in cleaning up our air and our water. My home State of Florida has been a national leader in protecting these precious resources. But there are those who have been left out in the rising tide of environmental quality, which has not lifted all of the boats. Mr. Speaker, since that original Earth Day, we have learned that racial minorities and low-income people experience high-than-average exposures to selected air pollutants, hazardous waste facilities, and to contaminated fish and agricultural pesticides in the workplace.”