密歇根新闻广播 弗林特水污染解决方案出台

For almost eight months, the bipartisan Joint¹ Select Committee on the Flint Water Crisis has been meeting, taking testimony², and struggling to find solutions.

Two days ago, they released a major report aimed at preventing further disasters. Unfortunately, they did this the day of the final presidential debate, which meant it got less than full attention.

Today, in fact, might have been more appropriate; it was exactly a year ago that the governor, finally conceding that there was a problem, created the Flint Water Advisory³ Task Force, whose findings eventually led to the forced resignation of the head of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and a whole chain of events that has led to criminal charges, political upheaval⁴, and Flint becoming a nationally known environmental disaster.

I've read a lot of boring official government reports. Not this one.

In 34 pages, it provides a precise and remarkable⁵ timeline of the crisis, and lists more than 30 proposals, almost half of which are goals that could be enacted⁶ almost immediately.

Soon after the report was revealed, my colleague Rick Pluta, Michigan Radio's Lansing bureau chief, noted⁷ something unusual.

The report was issued by the office of Senator Jim Stamas, R-Midland, the committee chair, who alone signed it. There was neither a major media event to discuss its findings, nor a minority report from those who disagreed.

Pluta and I both found that somewhat remarkable, given that these days Republicans and Democrats⁸ in Lansing seldom agree on whether the sky is blue.

So yesterday, I discussed this with Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, the Flint Democrat⁹ who was also vice-chair of the water emergency committee. He told me that, indeed, he didn't agree with everything in this report – but then, neither did the Republicans.

"I had sort of a unique status as the only member who was from Flint," he noted.

He still lives in the city with his wife and their 15-month old son, and feels strongly this was not a time for political posturing¹⁰, but for achievable results.

Ananich told me that he was pleased -- and I think mildly surprised --at the Republicans' willingness to work with the Democrats on some key issues.

When I asked Ananich what he liked best about the recommendations, he said the proposal to establish higher safety standards for lead and copper¹¹. The recommendations he likes least were those that would make it easier to punish and possibly scapegoat¹² civil service employees, something he thinks unlikely to be enacted.

The reform that has drawn¹³ the most attention is the one suggesting the Legislature consider replacing the current emergency manager law with one that would substitute a three person team in such situations, one that would include not only a financial bean-counter but a local government operations expert and an ombudsman representing the people.

This may need tweaking, but makes a great deal of sense. What we don't know yet is what the governor thinks, or what the lawmakers will be willing to do either now or when they return for the so-called lame-duck session after the election.

What they need to do is to take these suggestions seriously. We know this won't be our last urban environmental crisis. We need to make sure it remains¹⁴ our worst.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

4 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

11 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

12 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

13 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。