    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 1, 1999]
    [Pages 667-668]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 667]]

    The President's Radio Address
    May 1, 1999

        Good morning. Today I want to talk to you about one of the most
    important steps we can take to clean the air we breathe and protect the
    health of all Americans.
        Over the past generation, our Nation has made enormous progress in
    improving the quality of our air. In the late 1960's carbon monoxide,
    lead, and smog levels were so high in several major cities that walking
    to school in the morning could be almost as harmful for young children
    as smoking cigarettes.
        Today, people are breathing easier all across our country. Thanks to
    engineering breakthroughs and bipartisan environmental stewardship over
    the past three decades, we have reduced the annual emissions of harmful
    pollutants by a remarkable 70 million tons.
        Over the past 6 years alone, even as our Nation has produced the
    most dynamic economy in a generation, we have improved air quality in
    every single State. We've reduced toxic air pollution from chemical
    plants by 90 percent. We've set the toughest standards in decades for
    smog and soot, which will prevent millions of cases of childhood asthma.
    Just last week the Vice President announced a new effort to clear the
    haze and restore pristine skies to our national parks. But we must do
    more.
        Americans love to drive, and we're driving more than ever. But the
    emissions from our cars, particularly from the larger, less efficient
    vehicles, threaten to erode many of the air quality gains America has
    achieved. As a result, many of our States and cities are no longer on
    course to meet our vital air quality goals.
        So last year EPA Administrator Carol Browner sat down with members of the oil and auto industries,
    environmental and public health groups, and State and local governments
    to study how we can stay on track. The level of cooperation was
    unprecedented, and so was the result.
        Today I am proud to announce the details of this EPA proposal. The
    proposal would achieve a dramatic reduction in air pollution for the
    21st century, and it would do so in the most cost effective and flexible
    ways. For the first time, we would require all passenger vehicles,
    including the popular sport utility vehicles, to meet the same tough
    pollution standards. And for the first time, our plan addresses not only
    the cars we drive but also the fuel they use. Because sulfur clogs and
    impairs antipollution devices, we're proposing to cut the sulfur content
    of gasoline by about 90 percent over the next 5 years.
        Beginning in the year 2004, manufacturers would start producing
    vehicles that are 75 to 95 percent cleaner than those rolling off the
    assembly lines today. And the health benefits would be enormous. Every
    year we can prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of
    cases of respiratory illness, and hundreds of thousands of lost work
    days. According to some estimates, the benefits of the proposal may
    outweigh the costs by as much as 4 to 1.
        In designing this proposal, we've taken great pains to make sure
    these new standards will not cause hardship for industry or reduce
    consumer choice. In many cases, existing technology will allow
    manufacturers to meet the new standards and still offer the same models
    popular with consumers today. To accommodate manufacturers of sport
    utility vehicles and others who face special challenges, our proposal
    provides extra time to meet the new standards.
        We will spend the next several months getting comments and
    suggestions on the plan. Now that the EPA has published its proposal, a
    60-day period of public comment and public hearings will begin. With the
    help of interested citizens, industry, and public health and other
    groups, we believe we can finalize this proposal by the end of the year.
        Ever since the days when thick smog was choking our major cities,
    pessimists have claimed that protecting the environment and
    strengthening the economy were incompatible goals. But today, our
    economy is the strongest in a generation, and our environment is the
    cleanest in a generation. Whether the issue was deadly pesticides,
    fouled rivers, or polluted air, the American people have always proved
    the pessimists wrong.
        With the EPA's new clean air proposal, we will prove them wrong once
    again. Not only will we enhance our long-term prosperity, we

    [[Page 668]]

    will ensure that our children inherit a living, breathing Earth, our
    most important obligation of all.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 5:49 p.m. on April 30 in the Oval
    Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 1. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    April 30 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.