pbs高端访谈:美环保署发布遏制汞排放量的新标准

 　　GWEN IFILL:The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new rules today to curb¹ mercury emissions² from the nation's power plants. The standards apply to roughly 600 coal- or oil-fueled power facilities. They will have to either reduce their emissions or shut down.

　　The battle over the rules stretches back two decades. EPA administrator³ Lisa Jackson said today the new regulations of multiple pollutants⁴ would save lives and clean the air.

　　LISA JACKSON,Environmental Protection Agency: And this is a suite⁵ of air toxic⁶ standards. It is mercury. It is arsenic⁷. It is cadmium. It is chromium. It is cyanide. It is hydrochloric acid. It is hydrofluoric acid. And because the pollution control technology that will go on these plants will also get some soot⁸ out of the air, it means, by addressing some toxics⁹, we're actually addressing a suite of toxics and getting a lot of health benefits.

　　3.jpgGWEN IFILL:But there's a reason the rules have taken so long to take effect.

　　For more on that, we get two views.

　　Scott Segal is director of the Electric Reliability¹⁰ Coordinating¹¹ Council, an energy industry trade group, and John Walke is clean air director for the Natural Resources Defense¹² Council.

　　John Walke, how big is the problem which the EPA now says they're trying to solve?

　　JOHN WALKE,Natural Resources Defense Council: This is the most significant clean air and public health achievement in a generation.

　　And it is a huge problem, with coal-burning power plants emitting more toxins¹³ into America's air than any other source of pollution. So, cleaning them up is a huge success story to celebrate.

　　GWEN IFILL:Scott Segal, do you see it the same way?

　　SCOTT SEGAL,Electric Reliability Coordinating Council: Well, I don't.

　　I will say that it's a very big, significant achievement on the part of the EPA, in the sense that it represents the most expensive air rule potentially in EPA history. It represents the greatest intervention¹⁴ into the power marketplace and, for that matter, the job marketplace in a generation as well.

　　I guess what I would say is that, over the last 20 years, we have had about a 67 percent reduction in primary emissions coming from power plants, including mercury emissions and particulate¹⁵ matter emissions, without this rule. What this rule adds is a substantial amount of cost at the -- frankly¹⁶, at the expense of American job creation and the competitiveness of our manufacturing sector¹⁷.

　　GWEN IFILL:Let's talk about cost. The administrator said today $11 billion. Is that -- that sounds expensive.

　　JOHN WALKE:It's nearly $10 billion. The administrator also said that the health benefits to the American people would outweigh¹⁸ those costs by nearly 10-1, yielding benefits up to $90 billion or more.

　　What we have to recognize today is that the dirty power sector in America is imposing¹⁹ health costs on the American people of nearly $100 billion or more by not cleaning up their own pollution. And what this does is, it makes the actors responsible for that pollution clean up.

　　That's fair. That's reasonable. It will create jobs in the process from cleaning up those plants. And all of us will benefit.

　　GWEN IFILL:Let's backtrack for a moment. When you say health costs, what do you mean?

　　JOHN WALKE:Well, power plants are producing air pollutions that causes neurotoxic damage to children and the unborn, heart attacks, strokes, asthma²⁰ attacks. People are going to the hospital. They're missing work. They are going to the E.R.

　　And when we clean up power plants, we avoid those health costs to American families, to the economy. We get people back to work. And we have a healthier and more successful country.

　　GWEN IFILL:Those kind of costs, do they outweigh the benefits, or do the benefits outweigh the costs, depending on how you define each?

　　SCOTT SEGAL:Well, first things first.

　　Policies that maintain air quality in the United States are important and they should be advanced. I agree with that. The problem is, this rule does not do that. The incremental²¹ health care benefits associated with this rule in our judgment²² are virtually zero. And here's why.

　　Most of the benefits—and, by that, I mean 99 percent of the benefits—don't come from mercury, but come from control of soot, sometimes called particulate matter. However, these are well-controlled emissions. And in fact the EPA is attempting to claim benefits, when those same areas that it claims those benefits already attain²³ standards that protect human health and the environment.

　　So what the EPA is essentially²⁴ doing is double-counting the benefits that already arise under the Clean Air Act. That's unacceptable. In fact, there's recent material out from Professor Susan Dudley over at George Washington University, head of the Regulatory Studies program, that indicated incremental benefits, zero, in fact, costs so high that the increased cost of electricity and the increase in unemployment could result in greater threats to public health than this rule would purportedly²⁵ address in the first instance.

　　GWEN IFILL:I want to get back to those other costs.

　　SCOTT SEGAL:Sure.

　　GWEN IFILL:And I want to give you an opportunity to respond to that question that they're double-counting these health benefits.

　　JOHN WALKE:Gwen, if that sounds overly complicated, it's because the truth is far simpler.

　　When you clean up toxic air pollution from power plants using a handful of control equipment, you are simultaneously²⁶ reducing the deadly pollution that causes heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and other illnesses.

　　We should celebrate that outcome. And what Lisa Jackson said today is this rule is delivering more health benefits to the American people, outweighing²⁷ costs by about 10-1, and it's causing the polluters responsible for the problems to clean up their own pollution.

　　GWEN IFILL:But are they paying more in other ways? Are they paying more for their electricity? Does electricity become less reliable because there are going to be fewer plants?

　　JOHN WALKE:Those are good questions.

　　EPA estimates that any electric rate impacts would be on average about 3 percent to consumers. And, in return, we're getting $100 billion in benefits to the economy and the health of the American people. EPA and the Department of Energy have said that there is not going to be an impact on electricity and keeping the lights on.

　　In fact, these plants could lead to the retirement²⁸ of less than half of 1 percent of all electricity producers in the United States. So that is not going to cause problems in meeting electric needs.

　　GWEN IFILL:Well, that's one of the things I'm curious about, Scott Segal, which is, how many of these plants were going to close anyway? They're out of date, they were tired, and now need to be retired²⁹. So this would not have the kind of effect that perhaps some coal or energy producers would worry about.

　　SCOTT SEGAL:Well, there's no doubt that some of these plants would retire over the natural course of things and under market conditions.

　　The question we have to ask ourselves, it doesn't make sense to try and retire all of them simultaneously, and in so doing endanger about 8 percent of U.S. electricity. That's like taking three states offline. If a foreign power were to try and do that, we would regard it as a threat.

　　So, the bottom line is this. We do expect that there will be significant increases in electric power costs. In fact, in some areas of the country that are more heavily dependent on coal-fired power, we're looking at costs as high as a 20 percent increase.

　　GWEN IFILL:Would it all—but would it all. . .

　　SCOTT SEGAL:Yes.

　　GWEN IFILL:. . .happen simultaneously?

　　JOHN WALKE:No, of course not.

　　The agency is providing many years to clean up these plants or decide whether the businesses want. . .

　　GWEN IFILL:Four years?

　　JOHN WALKE:Four years, with the opportunity for more time if plants decide that they—or find that they can't meet the standards.

　　President Obama issued a very sensible and reasonable memorandum³⁰ today laying out the steps that are available under the law. The agency is committed to doing that. The Energy Department knows that we can meet our electric needs. So, you know, you're seeing a lot of, you know, fear-mongering from some quarters of the utility industry—not my friend Scott—and what you—you know, what you see are plants that have cleaned up already and know that we can and should.

　　And some of the plants that haven't cleaned up are fighting this tooth and nail in Washington.

　　GWEN IFILL:But your friend Scott said a few moments ago this is going to cost jobs.

　　SCOTT SEGAL:It will cost jobs. In fact, one of the best economic analyses performed by a very reputable economic consulting firm indicated that we will lose about 1.44 million net jobs, meaning taking into account the job creation John referred to earlier with respect to air pollution compliance³¹ jobs. The bottom line. . .

　　GWEN IFILL:. . .retrofitting the plants would create jobs, but not for long.

　　SCOTT SEGAL:For every one of those job which exists on a temporary basis, because as soon as the retrofit is done, that job is over—for every one of those jobs created, four of those jobs in manufacturing sectors³², mining, or in the power sector are likely to be lost.

　　That's a tradeoff we can ill afford. You know we've had so much debate, Gwen, about the payroll³³ taxes and about giving $1,000 to middle—to middle-class families. It would be a shame to achieve that benefit of a tax holiday and, in the same notion, give back the $1,000 in increased—in increased utility bills to the middle class.

　　GWEN IFILL:Your friend John is shaking his head.

　　JOHN WALKE:Gwen, that notorious study just proves the adage³⁴ that lobbyists can pay consultants³⁵ to say anything in Washington.

　　The truth is that, when EPA and the Energy Department conducted the most exhaustive analysis of all the competing studies and information out there, they found that these rules are expected to produce construction jobs, good-paying construction jobs of two to three years for over 40,000 American workers, and permanent long-term jobs operating the cleanup equipment of over 10,000 jobs.

　　So, you know, these numbers that Scott's putting forward were paid for by industry, and they stand in stark³⁶ contradiction with what EPA is saying.

　　GWEN IFILL:Finally, we—it wasn't that long ago we were sitting probably at this table discussing the administration's rolling back of its plan to put tighter restrictions³⁷ in place for smog regulations.

　　And you weren't very happy about that at the time.

　　You were not so unhappy about it.

　　Is the administration being tougher than they need to be, or are they not being tough enough?

　　JOHN WALKE:When the administration makes a wrong decision, we say so. But this is a historically right and successful achievement that should be celebrated³⁸.

　　These standards are historic accomplishments³⁹ that will produce a generational improvement in air quality. And they followed the science and the law. And all Americans will benefit from this.

　　GWEN IFILL:Scott Segal?

　　SCOTT SEGAL:And as we see it, tremendous additional cost, both in the power bill and also in job creation in 20 different industrial sectors that are highly energy-intensive and exist in an international marketplace, and all of that for virtually no incremental health benefits. It's a bad deal for America, and at a very bad time to conduct such a deal.

　　GWEN IFILL:Scott Segal of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, and John Walke of the National—Natural Resources Defense Council, thank you both very much.

　　SCOTT SEGAL:Thanks.

　　JOHN WALKE:Thank you.

1 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

2 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。

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 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

6 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

7 arsenic   

n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的

参考例句：

• His wife poisoned him with arsenic.他的妻子用砒霜把他毒死了。
• Arsenic is a poison.砒霜是毒药。

8 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

9 toxics   

n.毒物（toxic的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Corrosives are generally toxic, so follow the precautions cited in the following section on toxics. 腐蚀剂一般来说是有毒的，所以请遵守下文关于毒品的防范措施。 来自互联网
• Objective To evaluate the diagnostic methods and treatment of gastric ulcer perforating with toxics tubular necrosis. 目的探讨胃溃疡穿孔合并中毒性肾小管坏死的诊断方法与治疗方案。 来自互联网

10 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

11 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

15 particulate   

adj.微小的；n.微粒，粒子

参考例句：

• A special group was organized to dig up the particulate of the case.成立了一个专门小组来查明该案件的各个细节。
• Lungs retain relatively insoluble particulate material.肺脏内留有不溶解的颗粒物质。

16 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

17 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。

18 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

19 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

20 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

21 incremental   

adj.增加的

参考例句：

• For logic devices, the incremental current gain is very important. 对于逻辑器件来说，提高电流增益是非常重要的。 来自辞典例句
• By using an incremental approach, the problems involving material or geometric nonlinearity have been solved. 借应用一种增量方法，已经解决了包括材料的或几何的非线性问题。 来自辞典例句

22 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

23 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

24 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

25 purportedly   

adv.据称

参考例句：

• This is purportedly the oldest tree in the world. 据称这是世界上最古老的一棵树。 来自互联网
• Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency. 据悉，首尔市市长吴世勋于去年提出了这项旨在提高工作效率的计划。 来自互联网

26 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

27 outweighing   

v.在重量上超过( outweigh的现在分词 )；在重要性或价值方面超过

参考例句：

• Consider(sth good or positive)as balancing or outweighing(sth bad or negative) 视（某好的事物）可抵消或抵偿（某坏的事物） 来自互联网
• The accused and accusers all succeed in outweighing the Bible. 原告和被告都成功地通过了第一项测试。 来自互联网

28 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

29 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

30 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

31 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

32 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

33 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

34 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！

35 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

36 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

37 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

38 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

39 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》