[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF EARTH DAY

                                 ______


                            HON. RICK LAZIO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 21, 1994

  Mr. LAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the 
observation of the 24th annual celebration of Earth Day. We, as a 
people, have a shared responsibility to protect and preserve our 
natural resources. The way we respect and care for our environment is 
not only essential for maintaining life on Earth as we enjoy it today, 
but necessary for the survival, prosperity, and quality of life of 
future generations.
  Earth Day festivities and programs take various forms all around the 
country. I am especially enthusiastic about the level of commitment to 
the environment demonstrated by my Long Island constituents. Residing 
on a thin strip of land with a population in the millions, Long 
Islanders are acutely sensitive to the need to protect and preserve our 
environment. Recent severe Nor'easter storms and the resulting Atlantic 
waves have pounded Long Island's protective barrier beaches and 
threatened the south shore, bringing the problem of beach erosion 
forcefully to our attention. Our single-source aquifer, responsible for 
almost all of Suffolk county's water supply, strengthens our 
determination to guard against pollutants and contaminants. The 
alarmingly high incidence of breast cancer in our area, and the ongoing 
studies which seem to indicate that environmental factors may be a 
causal factor, reinforce our belief that the health of our environment 
directly effects the health of us all.
  These serious concerns, however, are not the only unique 
environmental characteristics affecting residents of Long Island every 
day. The miles of coastal shoreline and sandy beaches--packed with 
thousands of sunbathers and swimmers on warm sunny days--are an 
integral part of summer on Long Island. The nine wildlife refuges which 
make up the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex received over 
350,000 visits in 1992. From the Fire Island National Seashore, to the 
South Shore Estuary, to the many beautiful parks that enhance our 
communities, Long Island's sensitive island ecosystem provides 
residents with a unique appreciation for environmental concerns.

  On the national level, steps to improve the environment have 
increased since the time of the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. 
Increased public awareness is primarily responsible. In the past 24 
years, we have witnessed the enactment of a number of landmark 
environmental laws including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act; 
the Superfund program to clean up hazardous waste sites; and, the 
enactment of the Ocean Dumping Ban Act to stop the dumping of sewage 
sludge into our oceans.
  The 103d Congress has a number of important environmental bills on 
its agenda. Reauthorization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 
Endangered Species Act will hopefully be completed this session. It 
also is my hope that Congress will approve H.R. 1345, a bill to elevate 
the Environmental Protection Agency to Cabinet-level status. I am an 
original cosponsor of this proposal.
  In addition to these important bills, on November 3, 1993, I 
introduced H.R. 3727, the Environmental Defense Act of 1993. The goal 
of this legislation ultimately is to create a national academy, based 
on the model of our Nation's military service academies, to train 
environmental engineers and other environmental professionals. H.R. 
3727 calls for the Department of Education to conduct a study on the 
feasibility of creating this Environmental Academy. I firmly believe 
that this academy would greatly assist our efforts to protect America's 
environment, public health, and increasingly endangered natural 
resources.
  Without public participation and support, however, all the 
legislation in the world is not sufficient to properly care for our 
environment. I applaud the extensive efforts that citizens such as 
those of Long Island have made. I encourage people to join or organize 
community service groups and become educated and active on issues 
affecting the environment. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to 
reflect on the natural bounty of our planet and for people to get 
involved in projects designed to protect it.

                          ____________________