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EPA ADMINISTRATOR VISITS LAKE TAHOE DELIVERS KEYNOTE AT SUMMIT

Release Date: 8/21/2001
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, 415/744-1798, Cell# 415/760-5420

SAN FRANCISCO B U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman toured Lake Tahoe today with Senator Harry Reid, Senator John Ensign, Governor Kenny Guinn, and federal, tribal, state and local officials to highlight efforts to protect the sensitive environment in the Lake Tahoe Basin. After the tour Whitman delivered the keynote address at the Lake Tahoe Summit 2001.

A The federal government has played an important role in the Tahoe region for more than 100 years, and I can assure you that the Administration remains committed to restoring and protecting this precious natural treasure, @ said Administrator Whitman. A We will continue to pursue the goals of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act by providing the technical expertise, monitoring and research that are crucial to this preservation.@

A My intention is for America = s air to be cleaner, water purer, and land better protected when I leave the EPA than it was when I arrived, @ Whitman continued. A We are on our way to making these goals a reality right here in the Lake Tahoe Basin and I look forward to working with you to complete the job. In doing so, we can ensure that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy the same spectacular setting that we enjoy today. @

The U.S. EPA has provided more than $17 million since 1997 to promote water quality efforts in and around the lake, and has dedicated a full-time staff person to work with other officials in the area on lake issues. Lake Tahoe is currently losing about a foot per year in water clarity due to airborne and runoff pollution from a variety of sources.

The centerpiece for restoration efforts, the Environmental Improvement Program leverages three dollars for every federal dollar spent. In addition to addressing lake clarity, the Bush Administration is committed to numerous other local environmental concerns, including the health of the Tahoe Basin = s forest, and air quality and transportation issues.