VOA标准英语10月-Environmentalists Blast Ivorian Toxic Waste Court

A court in the Ivory Coast has sentenced two men to prison terms for dumping toxic¹ waste that killed 17 people two years ago in Abidjan. But activists³ are criticizing the case because the trading company that transported the waste was not prosecuted⁴. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.
　

The director general of Ivorian company Tommy, Salomon Ugborugbo, at his trial in Abidjan, 20 Oct., 2008

Environmental activists are expressing satisfaction over the sentences handed down in the Ivorian toxic waste case. But they say justice has not been rendered because the Trafigura company that chartered the ship carrying the waste was not prosecuted and refused even to appear as a witness.

Late Wednesday, an Ivorian court sentenced the director, Salomon Ugborugbo, of a local company to 20 years in prison in the case. It also sentenced an Ivorian shipping⁵ agent Desire Kouao to five years behind bars for complicity. Seven other defendants⁶ were acquitted⁷.

But an official with the Greenpeace environmental group, Marietta Harjono, says Trafigura was not prosecuted because it received immunity⁸ from the Ivorian government earlier this year in exchange for a $200 million payment.

"This [case] is nothing more than a showcase," she said. "And we are very disappointed that Trafigura, the big fish that actually decided⁹ to dump the toxic waste, is not part of the criminal prosecution¹⁰."

Trafigura chartered the Probo Koala two years ago to dispose of 500 cubic meters of toxic waste. After the ship docked at the port of Abidjan, it hired a local company that dumped the waste at more than one dozen locations around the city. Seventeen people died and thousands more required treatment after inhaling¹¹ fumes¹² from the waste.

The mixture of petroleum¹³ and caustic¹⁴ products had been used to clean the inside of tankers¹⁵. Trafigura denies responsibility, saying pollution already in Abidjan was responsible for the casualties and it offered the payment as a humanitarian¹⁶ gesture to the victims.

Activist² Harjono says the case of the Probo Koala represents a new aspect to the problem of controlling the dumping of hazardous¹⁷ waste.

"We see chemical processing of oil products happening at sea on board ships, outside anybody's control, where a lot of toxic waste is generated. And we just do not know where this toxic waste is ending [up]," she said.

She says an international law is needed to protect people from what she calls a new industry. She says she hopes upcoming court cases will help clarify the issue.

Trafigura faces a criminal case next year in the Netherlands, where it sought to discharge the toxic waste before sending it to Africa. It reportedly also faces a possible class-action lawsuit¹⁸ in London brought by British lawyers seeking millions of dollars in compensation for the Ivorian victims.

1 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。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

5 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

6 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

8 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

11 inhaling   

v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was treated for the effects of inhaling smoke. 他因吸入烟尘而接受治疗。 来自辞典例句
• The long-term effects of inhaling contaminated air is unknown. 长期吸入被污染空气的影响还无从知晓。 来自互联网

12 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

13 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

14 caustic   

adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的

参考例句：

• He opened his mouth to make a caustic retort.他张嘴开始进行刻薄的反击。
• He enjoys making caustic remarks about other people.他喜欢挖苦别人。

15 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

16 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

17 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

18 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。