The 30 years of environmental progress highlighted in this report chart a remarkable success story. In one generation, we have reversed the effects of more than a century of industrial pollution and environmental degradation, and we have begun the effort to restore and protect our treasured natural resources. We have done this and at the same time built the strongest economy in our history. This remarkable progress is a tribute to the work of thousands of dedicated and talented EPA employees, to the cooperation of other federal agencies and state and local governments, to the efforts of scores of nonprofit organizations and their volunteers, to the tenacity of dedicated community activists, and to the enlightened leadership of many in business and industry. But there is so much more to do. Many communities have yet to share fully in the benefits of our environmental progress, and the new century presents challenges - from uncontrolled sprawl to climate change - that were scarcely understood or anticipated at the time of EPAs founding. President Clinton, Vice President Gore and EPA Administrator Browner have defined a vision and a program to meet these challenges - to protect the health of our children, ensure cleaner and more livable communities, and preserve farmland and open space while providing all communities with clean air, clean water, and safe drinking water. This leadership, joined by that of environmental leaders in communities across the country, offers the promise that we may fulfill Theodore Roosevelts mandate that we leave this nation a better land for our descendants than it is for us.

Cover title. "EPA-903-R-00-004."