布什政府打算制定饮水中含砷量限定标准

                 25 布什政府打算制定饮水中含砷量限定标准

DATE=3/30/01
TITLE=ENVIRONMENT REPORT- (1)EPA Rejects (2)Arsenic¹ Limits in Water BYLINE=Cynthia Kirk
 
(Start at 1'00")This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to (3)withdraw a rule that would have sharply² reduced the amount of arsenic permitted in drinking water. The new rule was approved at the end of the Clinton presidency³. It was suspended after President Bush took office in January.
The Bush administration says the rule needs more study.The new rule would have reduced the acceptable⁴ level of arsenic in drinking water by eighty percent. It was designed to reduce the public health risk from arsenic in drinking water.
Arsenic is a (4)substance found naturally in rocks, soil, water, air, plants and animals. It also can be released during (5)mining operations.
Arsenic is mainly (6)transported by water. The highest levels of arsenic are found mostly in the western American states. At unsafe levels, arsenic can cause cancer and other diseases.
Environmental groups have argued for years that arsenic limits should be reduced. They say studies show the limits are necessary for protecting millions of Americans from cancer and other health threats.
But the mining industry and some cities and states strongly opposed the rule on reducing arsenic in drinking water. They said it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to put into effect. The mining (7)industry took legal action in an attempt to block the rule. Environmental groups say the Bush (8)administration is seeking to withdraw the rule because of pressure by the mining industry.
The Environmental Protection Agency set the (9)current limit for arsenic in Nineteen-Seventy-Five. But a report by the National (10)Academy of Sciences two years ago found that the current limit does not meet the E-P-A's goal of protecting public health. The group said the current limit should be lowered as soon as possible.
The limit approved by President Clinton also was (11)approved by the European Union and the World Health Organization several years ago.
But E-P-A officials say Mister Clinton's action was not supported by (12)scientific evidence. They say arsenic levels should be reduced, but not necessarily as low as the rule required.
The E-P-A will seek independent scientific studies about the issue and the possible cost to communities. A final decision is expected after a public comment period.
This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

(1)　 EPA  abbr.Environmental Protection Agency 美国环保署
(2)　 Arsenic[ 5B:sEnik ]n.[化]砷, 砒霜
(3) withdraw[ wiT5drC: ]vt.收回, 撤消vi.缩回, 退出v.撤退
(4) substance[ 5sQbstEns ]n.物质, 实质, 主旨
(5) mining[ 5mainiN ]n.采矿, 矿业
(6) transport[ trAns5pC:t ]n.传送器, 运输, vt.传送, 运输, 流放, 放逐
(7) industry[ 5indEstri ]n.工业, 产业, 行业, 勤奋
(8) administration[ Edminis5treiFEn ]n.管理, 经营, 行政部门
(9) approved[ E5pru:vd ]adj.经核准的, 被认可的
(10) current[ 5kQrEnt ]adj.当前的, 通用的,现在的, 草写的, 最近的n.涌流, 趋势, 电流, 水流
(11) academy[ E5kAdEmi ]n.(高等)专科院校, 研究院, 学会, 学术团体, 学院
(12) scientific[ saiEn5tifik ]adj.科学的

 

1 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。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。