Volume 157, No. 70 covering the 1st Session of the 112th Congress (2011 - 2012) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“MECCA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S3166-S3167 on May 19, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MECCA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I welcome the students from the 6th grade class at Mecca Elementary School, who are visiting Washington, DC. I am particularly honored to have these students visit the U.S. Capitol because they know firsthand how important it is to speak up and be heard to make government officials aware of vital issues that affect their community.
Like all Americans, the residents of Mecca, CA, have the right to expect that the air they breathe is clean, and that the Federal and State government will enforce the Nation's environmental laws to protect them from dangerous pollution. Unfortunately, some residents in Mecca became sick from overpowering air pollution coming from a nearby waste recycling facility. The noxious odors posed a public health risk to the two schools located near the site, Mecca Elementary School and Saul Martinez Elementary School.
I became involved because local citizens, including teachers and students at the two schools, spoke out about the public health threat in Mecca that needed to be addressed immediately. I am so pleased that the Environmental Protection Agency stepped up its efforts to clean up the air pollution in and around the community of Mecca.
I give special thanks to the residents of Mecca, including the students at Mecca Elementary School, for speaking up and telling the truth about the troubling conditions nearby. It is an example to all Americans that we have a stake in our communities and that by fighting for what is right, we can make our country a better, safer and healthier nation.
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