Pollution Rule Eased for Older Power Stations And Factories
时间：2018-12-15 作者：英语课 分类：VOA2003（下）-环境与健康
英语课
By Caty Weaver 1
Broadcast: September 5, 2003
This is Bob Doughty 2 with the VOA Special English Environment Report.
The administration of President Bush has eased an air pollution rule for about seventeen-thousand older power stations and factories. Operators will have greater freedom to make changes without the need to add pollution control equipment.
The administration eased a rule established in a law called the Clean Air Act. Environmental groups say the new rule will damage the environment and threaten public health. They also accuse the Bush administration of acting 3 to please its political supporters in the energy industry. The acting administrator 4 of the Environmental Protection Agency, Marianne Horinko, signed the new rule. She says it will increase fairness and dependability. She says it will not affect the protections of the Clean Air Act. President Bush's 1)nominee 5 to head the E-P-A, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, awaits 2)confirmation 6 by the Senate.
Industry officials said the old rule was unclear about when operators had to add pollution controls while making changes. The new rule is based on the cost of repairs, replacements 7 or improvements to production equipment. This will be true even if the changes increase pollution. But the pollution still has to remain within current limits.
Industry officials say operators will now be able to make improvements that had been too costly 8 under the past requirements. The energy industry says such work will make power stations cleaner, and this will be good for the environment. Energy producers say electric service will also be less costly and more dependable. Last month a huge power 3)outage affected 9 New York City and other parts of the eastern United States and Canada.
But the 4)attorney general of New York State, Eliot Spitzer, calls the new rule illegal. He says it means Americans will breathe dirtier air and get more lung diseases. And he says it will increase environmental damage. Mister Spitzer said he would fight the change in court.
The head of the American Lung Association, John Kirkwood, also condemned 10 the new rule. He says huge amounts of scientific study have shown that air pollution causes health problems. He said E-P-A policy should be based on protecting public health, not improving industry profits.
This VOA Special English Environment Report was written by Caty Weaver. This is Bob Doughty.
注释:
1) nominee [nCmi5ni:] n.被提名的人，被任命者
2) confirmation [7kCnfE5meiFEn] n.证实，确认，批准
3) outage [5autidV] n.储运损耗
4) attorney [E5tE:ni] n.律师
1 weaver
n.织布工；编织者
- She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
- The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
2 doughty
adj.勇猛的，坚强的
- Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
- The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
3 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
4 administrator
n.经营管理者，行政官员
- The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
- He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。
5 nominee
n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者
- His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
- Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。
6 confirmation
n.证实，确认，批准
- We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
- We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。
7 replacements
n.代替( replacement的名词复数 )；替换的人[物]；替代品；归还
- They infiltrated behind the lines so as to annoy the emery replacements. 他们渗透敌后以便骚扰敌军的调度。 来自辞典例句
- For oil replacements, cheap suddenly looks less of a problem. 对于石油的替代品来说，价格变得无足轻重了。 来自互联网