[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