Pollution Rule Eased for Older Power Stations And Factories

By Caty Weaver¹
Broadcast: September 5, 2003
This is Bob Doughty² 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 acting³ to please its political supporters in the energy industry. The acting administrator⁴ 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)nominee⁵ to head the E-P-A, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, awaits 2)confirmation⁶ 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, replacements⁷ 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 costly⁸ 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 affected⁹ 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 condemned¹⁰ 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

参考例句：

• 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

参考例句：

• 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

参考例句：

• 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

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。

5 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• 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

参考例句：

• 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

参考例句：

• 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

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。