VOA常速英语2007年-Reclaimed Coal Mine Gets 'Green' Makeover

By Mil Arcega
Washington
04 December 2007
 

A decommissioned coal mine in the Rocky Mountain state of Wyoming is about to get a new lease on life. Although it no longer produces enough coal to generate electricity, the company that owns the land has found a new way to squeeze more power from the abandoned site -- without hurting the environment. VOA's Mil Arcega explains.

Coal generates more than half of the electricity needed to satisfy the energy demands of the United States. But what happens when a mine's coal runs out -- as it has at the Glenrock coal mine in Wyoming?

Leslie Blythe, with the Rocky Mountain Power Company, says federal laws require that decommissioned coal mines be returned back to their original state or as close to it as possible. She explains, "You'll see that it is just a rolling prairie again. The antelope¹ are out there, rabbits and whatnots. It has been reclaimed² to its natural state."

But after producing more than 100 million tons of coal over the last 40 years, the mine's owners say they have bigger plans for the 6,000 hectare site. Although its below ground resources have long been depleted³, above ground, there is an abundant, renewable source of energy -- the wind.

"This is a very energetic site. We've had wind monitors out here for the last year or so. We've determined⁴ that it is a very windy site as you can see today. We have a lot of wind out here today," Blythe pointed⁵ out.

To harness that power, the Glenrock Wind Energy Project plans to build 66 giant wind turbines, capable of producing nearly 100 megawatts of electricity.

County Commissioner⁶ Chairman Jim Wilcox says not only will the wind farm produce clean, emission-free electricity, it will also provide a new source of revenue and jobs for the local economy. "There will be a slight increase in our tax revenues from the sales tax and the property tax. But we'll also have job creations. They'll be jobs created both in the construction and the maintenance operations of the wind farm."

The American Wind Energy Association says wind farms like this one provide less than one percent of America's electricity needs. But that number is expected to rise to six percent in the next decade.

Barring any regulatory delays, the Glenrock wind farm expects to start operations in October 2008.

1 antelope   

n.羚羊；羚羊皮

参考例句：

• Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
• The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

2 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。