This is an excerpt from his remarks. Our nation's environmental progress over the last 30 years is a success story that we should all be proud of because our partnership is at the center of it. Working together, we've cleaned up the wastewater from hundreds of American communities and rehabilitated hazardous waste sites all across the country. We've improved the quality of the water in the nation's lakes, rivers and streams.
Air quality is better in almost every urban area.
The American people today enjoy better health and more productive ecosystems, and our partnership is largely responsible. What's more, we cleaned up the environment while the population grew and the economy expanded at a breathtaking pace. We have achieved much at home, and we have much to offer the rest of the world. Our partnership has been in place from the very beginning. Many federal environmental laws included a prominent role for the states, primarily through the delegation of the primary authority for implementing programs to states and tribes.