Earth Day 2000: Environmental Accomplishments: Illinois

President Clinton and Vice President Gore:
Protecting Our Environment and Public Health

Over the past seven years, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have significantly strengthened protections for the environment and public health, and won new resources to help states and communities protect their water, land and coasts. Here are some of the ways the state of Illinois has benefited:

Accelerating Toxic Cleanups.

The Clinton-Gore Administration has greatly accelerated the cleanup of contaminated sites, protecting communities and revitalizing local economies by returning land to productive use.

Reducing Toxic Releases.

The Administration has greatly expanded communities’ right to know about toxic releases to air, water and land – increasing by 30 percent the number of facilities that must report their releases, and nearly doubling the number of chemicals subject to reporting. Increased disclosure has helped lead to dramatic reductions in toxic releases. Nationwide, reported releases dropped nearly 20 percent from 1992 to 1997. In Illinois, toxic releases declined from 99,979,241 pounds in 1992 to 94,833,950 pounds in 1997.

Strengthening Water Quality Protections.

Through a variety of programs, the Administration has provided significant new resources to states and communities to safeguard public health by improving drinking water and to protect rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. These include:

Protecting Local Lands.

The Administration has won significant new resources to help states, communities, and landowners protect farms and other local green spaces that support wildlife, recreation, and water quality.

April 2000



Earth Day 2000: Environmental Accomplishments

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