美国国家公共电台 NPR--EPA creates new office to advance environmental justice initiatives

EPA creates new office to advance environmental justice initiatives

Transcript¹

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

There's a new office in the Environmental Protection Agency dedicated² to environmental justice and civil rights. Michael Regan, the EPA administrator³, says this office is needed to elevate the fight for poor, overlooked communities of color. If you think about this, it's very often that a poor neighborhood is next to a factory or some other industrial site, just to give an example. Regan announced its launch in Warren County, N.C., the birthplace of the environmental justice movement. Leoneda Inge of member station WUNC reports.

LEONEDA INGE, BYLINE⁴: It's been 40 years since a small Black rural community stood up and laid down in the middle of the road to stop trucks from dumping PCB-contaminated dirt in their landfill.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The protesters were told not to block the trucks. They are now lying in the streets now, blocking one truck moving on to the landfill. They're refusing an order to move, and they are being arrested one by one.

INGE: In September 1982, the first group of Warren County residents would meet at Coley Springs Missionary⁵ Baptist Church and walk the 2 miles to the landfill to try to stop the dump trucks. The story has been told several times in documentaries and on PBS.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We will not allow Warren County to become a dump site.

INGE: Dollie Burwell was a wife and a working mother in her 30s back then. Burwell was arrested at least five times for protesting the environmental injustice⁶. She said it was clear her community was targeted because it was Black, poor and politically powerless. Today, Burwell is 74 years old and is often called the mother of the environmental justice movement. She recently retraced⁷ her steps to the landfill.

DOLLIE BURWELL: I was not trying to create a movement, really wasn't. And - but to see, 40 years later, young people still fighting for environmental justice - I'm good to go now.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MICHAEL REGAN: I could not be prouder to announce that today, EPA is creating a new national office charged with advancing environmental justice and external civil rights.

(APPLAUSE)

INGE: EPA Administrator Michael Regan told the crowd in Warren County the new office will have more than 200 people and equal the EPA offices of air and water. The new office will also distribute $3 billion in block grant money to communities Regan said have continued to fight and make a fuss.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

REGAN: We are finally ensuring that communities who have long borne the burden of pollution see, breathe and feel the benefits of the federal government's investments. It's about changing how our government works and who it works for.

INGE: Environmental justice activists⁸ from across the country were on hand to hear Regan's words, including Ben Chavis. The civil rights leader from North Carolina coined the term environmental racism⁹ and was instrumental in the Warren County protests.

BEN CHAVIS: Actually, it goes a step beyond what I expected 'cause, you know, one of the definitions of environmental racism was, in the past, that communities of color have been excluded at the higher levels of environmental policy. So this is welcome news.

INGE: And with this announcement, Chavis says it's clear the government is finally listening.

For NPR News, I'm Leoneda Inge.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• 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。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

6 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

7 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。