President George Bush said today the United States will sign a global treaty aimed at curbing toxic chemicals.
"The risks are great and the need for action is clear: We must work to eliminate or at least to severely restrict the release of these toxins without delay," he said.
The United States played a leading role in negotiating the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, so it was no surprise that Mr Bush announced US plans to sign it at a Stockholm conference on May 22nd-23th.
The United States already has banned or restricted the use of the chemicals covered under the treaty and most have not been produced or used there for years.
But the announcement was significant as it came as Mr Bush tried to shore up his environmental image ahead of the 31st anniversary of Earth Day on Sunday.
In recent weeks, Mr Bush has withdrawn from talks on a global-warming treaty, declined for now to implement tougher standards for arsenic in drinking water and reneged on a campaign pledge to require power plants to control carbon dioxide emissions.
These and other steps have contributed to an image of a president more interested in helping industry than protecting the environment.