[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 18 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Pages 684-685]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

April 24, 2004

    Good morning. This week I celebrated Earth Day by traveling to Maine 
and Florida to visit some of this Nation's vital wetlands.

[[Page 685]]

From the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, Americans are blessed to 
live amid many incredible wonders of nature.
    We no longer take those wonders for granted. We understand our 
responsibilities to the natural world to conserve and make better what 
we have been given. Wetlands are among our most important natural 
resources. They provide a habitat for wildlife, trap pollution, reduce 
the impact of floods, and provide recreational opportunities.
    For many years, our Nation has sought to slow the loss of our 
wetlands. We've made tremendous progress. And on Earth Day, I was proud 
to announce a new goal: Instead of just limiting our losses, we will 
expand the wetlands of America.
    To accomplish this objective, my administration will work to 
restore, improve, and protect at least 3 million acres of wetlands over 
the next 5 years. This new wetlands policy reflects an enduring national 
commitment, carried forward by both parties, to protecting the 
environment.
    We're taking action to ensure cleaner air. Since Congress passed the 
Clean Air Act of 1970, major air pollutants have been reduced by nearly 
50 percent. My administration is building on that progress by 
implementing smarter ways to raise standards and improve air quality.
    The clean air interstate rule, based on the Clear Skies legislation 
I sent to Congress last year, will reduce the major causes of ozone and 
fine particles by 70 percent. This rule employs a market-based approach 
called ``cap and trade'' to reduce air pollution that crosses State 
borders.
    We're also completing an important new rule to remove sulfur from 
diesel fuels. Just as regulations to remove lead from gasoline have 
helped cut pollution in the 1970s, our new diesel rule will reduce 
harmful emissions from generators, tractors, and other diesel vehicles.
    Finally, we are regulating mercury emissions from powerplants for 
the first time ever. Under our new proposal, mercury emissions will be 
cut by approximately 70 percent.
    All these rules are based on sound science and good economics, and 
they will help every American breathe cleaner air.
    We also have a responsibility to be good stewards of the land. Two 
years ago, I signed legislation to clean up more of the abandoned and 
polluted industrial sites known as brownfields. Between 2001 and 2003, 
we restored over 1,000 brownfields to usable condition, more than were 
restored in the previous 7 years. Our efforts have opened usable land 
for small businesses and residents in hundreds of communities across the 
country and created more than 25,000 jobs in cleanup and redevelopment.
    Another critical environmental priority is the health of our 
Nation's forests. In recent years, millions of acres of forests, 
rangeland, and communities have been destroyed by wildfires. So last 
December, I signed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act to reduce the risk 
of fire, save lives and property, and improve the health of our forests. 
The law opens millions of acres of forest land to vital thinning 
projects. And by expediting the environmental review process and 
directing courts to consider long-term threats to forest health, the law 
allows us to protect more of our Nation's precious forests.
    In the past three decades, America has made great strides in 
honoring the ideal of conservation and living by high standards of 
stewardship. My administration's environmental efforts uphold that 
legacy. In the past 4 years, America's air, land, and water have all 
gotten cleaner. Our new proposals build on that progress and help us 
advance toward our national goal of a cleaner, safer, healthier 
environment.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 4:35 p.m. on April 22 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 24. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
April 23 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.