[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 25, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               TRIBUTE TO SAUL MARTINEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I 
honor students, teachers, administrators, librarians, and parents from 
Saul Martinez Elementary School in Mecca, CA, for taking a stand to 
resolve a serious pollution problem the community was facing. Together, 
they have demonstrated how important it is to speak up and be heard to 
make government officials aware of vital issues that affect their 
community.
  Like all Americans, the residents of Mecca, CA, have the right to 
expect that the air they breathe is clean, and that the Federal and 
State government will enforce the Nation's environmental laws to 
protect them from dangerous pollution. Unfortunately, some residents in 
Mecca became sick from overpowering air pollution coming from a nearby 
waste recycling facility. The noxious odors posed a public health risk 
to the two schools located near the site, Saul Martinez Elementary 
School and Mecca Elementary School.
  I became involved because local citizens, including teachers and 
students at the two schools, spoke out about the public health threat 
in Mecca that needed to be addressed immediately. I am so pleased that 
the Environmental Protection Agency stepped up its efforts to clean up 
the air pollution in and around the community of Mecca.
  I give special thanks to the residents of Mecca, including the 
students at Saul Martinez Elementary School, for speaking up and 
telling the truth about the troubling conditions nearby. It is an 
example to all Americans that we have a stake in our communities and 
that by fighting for what is right, we can make our country a better, 
safer and healthier nation.

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