财经金融新闻 环评审批权下放的现实困境

A decision by the Ministry¹ of Environmental Protection last march to allow local governments more power in approving new power plant proposals appears to be all but backfiring.

去年3月，环保部权力下方，将建设项目审批权下放至各地政府，但却适得其反。

Originally intended to enhance administrative² efficiency, the decision has led to the approval of a slew³ of new power projects in direct contradiction of the government’s environmental agenda.

原想提高行政效率，没成想却批复了大量新建设项目，显然与政府的环保计划背道而驰。

In the northern province of Shanxi alone, 23 coal-fired power plants won approval from March to October last year.

从去年3月到10月，仅山西就批复了23个新项目。

Two of them, proposed by China Coal Pingshuo Group and China Resources Power Holdings, were previously⁴ shot down by the ministry due to concerns about air pollution.

这其中就包括中煤平朔、华润电力低热值煤项目，这两个项目曾因空气污染遭环保部否决。

Three other such projects were also approved in Inner Mongolia.

3个内蒙古项目也通过环评。

Coal-rich provinces like Shanxi have actively⁵ promoted plants that use waste materials from coal-mining to generate electricity in order to boost economic growth in the past.

以前，煤炭大省山西曾利用煤炭废料发电，促进经济增长。

And given that these regions have been on the blunt end of the national economic slowdown, temptations to allow such operations would have been irresistible⁶.

随着经济放缓，采用废料发电已势不可挡。

Indeed, it is worth noting that economic growth has been a major determinant of provincial⁷ officials’ prospect⁸ for promotion⁹.

值得注意的是，地区经济增长对地方官员晋升有着决定性作用。

But the key problem here is the usage of waste materials from coalmines, which include gangue, slime and middling.

但主要问题出在了煤矿废料发电，煤炭中包含了大量脉石、烂泥以及中矿。

China produces some 300 million tons of them, but only a third of it goes to power facilities.

中国每年会产生约3亿吨煤炭废料，但只有三分之一用于能源。

The rest are left unused, sprawling¹⁰ over some 13,000 hectares of land. And in their idle state, they not only create harmful gases but also pollute nearby soil and water.

其余搁置不用，约1.3万公顷土地遭污染。这些废料不仅会产生有害气体，还会污染附近土壤水源。

However, using them to produce power generates greater amounts of dust and sulphur dioxide emissions¹¹ than using materials with higher quality.

较使用环保材料，废料发电会产生更多灰尘，更多二氧化硫。

And central authorities say this is something that the smog-choked skies of Northern China cannot afford to take on.

但据中央政府表示，北方的污染天气不适宜采用废料发电。

Such dilemma¹² has been at the bottom of a vacillation¹³ in policy.

相关政策也是摇摆不定。

For instance, in 2011, the National Energy Bureau issued a notice saying the country should stop developing the sector¹⁴ that uses coalmining waste.

2011年，国家能源局发表声明，称应停止煤炭废料发展。

But, in 2013, the Bureau had allowed the Shanxi government to draft plans for the very activity it discouraged.

而在2013年，国家能源局允许山西政府起草废料发展方案。

Two years later, by March 2015, the Ministry of Environmental Protection had rejected many of those proposals, just before passing down authority to provincial governments to decide whether to approve such projects.

但到2015年3月，就在环保部权力下放之前，多个项目遭环保部否决。

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

6 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

7 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

8 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

9 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

10 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

12 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

13 vacillation   

n.动摇；忧柔寡断

参考例句：

• Vacillation is the cause of his failure.优柔寡断是他失败的原因。
• His constant vacillation made him an unfit administrator.他经常优柔寡断，这使他不适合当行政官员。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。