Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today made the following remarks regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's announcement today that it will launch a new program to monitor toxic air pollution near schools. During her confirmation hearing before the EPW Committee on January 14, 2009, Administrator Jackson promised Senator Boxer that she would prepare a plan to address high pollution levels near schools as one of her top priorities after taking office.
Senator Boxer said: "I am so pleased that EPA Administrator Jackson has announced a plan to test schools for toxic air pollution. I vowed that schools at risk would be tested when this threat to our children's health was exposed in a recent investigation, and I asked Administrator Jackson to promise to take immediate action in her recent confirmation hearing. That promise has been kept. Children are our future, and we need to ensure they have a safe and healthy one."
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