    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8611--DEC. 2, 2010

    Proclamation 8611 of December 2, 2010
    40th Anniversary of the Environmental Protection Agency
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    From the air we breathe to the water we drink, the quality of our
    environment has a profound effect on our public health, the well-being
    of future generations, and the vitality of our economy. Just four
    decades ago, smog choked communities across America, pollution clotted
    numerous waterways, and our Nation watched in shock as Cleveland's
    Cuyahoga River ignited from a tragic accumulation of industrial waste
    and sewage. Americans realized that we must work together to preserve
    the beauty and utility of our planet, and we have come to expect clean
    air and drinking water.
    The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in
    1970 to protect Americans' health and our natural resources from
    pollution. Since its formation, EPA has responded to our Nation's most
    urgent environmental challenges, including industrial waste polluting
    our waters, acid rain poisoning our forests and lakes, the thinning of
    the ozone layer that shields the Earth, and safe handling of electronic
    waste. Throughout its history, EPA has been a champion for healthy
    families by reducing the environmental risks that affect children,
    fostering cleaner communities, and building a stronger America.
    Looking to the future, we must safeguard the rich resources that have
    supported centuries of American growth and economic expansion, while
    also protecting the clean air and water that has helped keep our
    families healthy. To carry out these obligations, EPA will continue to
    make clean air, safe water, and unpolluted land a priority, and
    encourage America to be a leader in environmental protection through
    pollution prevention and the development of clean-energy alternatives to
    fossil fuels. The advances we make today will build a sustainable future
    for our country, creating new clean-energy jobs and laying the
    foundation for our long-term economic security.
    Four decades after its creation, EPA is building on its legacy of
    responsible stewardship and advancing environmental quality in the face
    of new challenges. As we strive to protect the integrity of our planet
    in the 21st century, EPA continues to lead on critical global issues
    like reducing mercury pollution, fighting for environmental justice in
    overburdened communities, and confronting global climate change. The
    work of EPA benefits every American by making our environment safer and
    healthier while securing the path to a better future for our children
    and grandchildren.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 2, 2010, as
    the 40th Anniversary of the United States Environmental Protection
    Agency. I call upon all Americans to observe this anniversary with
    appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor EPA's
    history, accomplishments, and contributions to our environment.

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    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of
    December, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    fifth.
    BARACK OBAMA