Bush Chooses Utah Governor to Head the Environmental Protect

By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: August 29, 2003
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Environment Report.
President Bush has nominated the governor of 1)Utah, Mike Leavitt, to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Christine Todd Whitman resigned as administrator¹ and left office in June.
Mister Leavitt, also a Republican, is fifty-two years old. He has served the longest of all the current governors in the United States. Utah voters first elected him to lead the western state in nineteen-ninety-two. He is in his third term.
Mister Leavitt told the New York Times about two of the environmental efforts he considers among his most successful. One was his work with a group to reduce air pollution over the Grand Canyon² in Arizona and other national parks. That effort involved thirteen states, thirteen Indian tribes and three federal agencies.
He also noted³ a major 2)cleanup effort recently completed to reclaim⁴ water from a 3)copper⁵ mine near Salt Lake City. The governor brought together environmentalists, government officials and mining officials. As a result, he says, the project was completed in just five years. It also avoided the need to spend huge amounts of federal money.
Among other environmental issues, the governor has opposed federal efforts to store nuclear waste in Utah.
Mister Leavitt supports a set of ideas for protecting air, land and water. He and a former Democratic governor of Oregon put forward these ideas called "Enlibra." The Western Governors Association accepts Enlibra as its policy. Mister Leavitt has led that group.
The ideas call for working together to seek a balance in environmental decisions. Mister Leavitt says the costs of programs must be weighed against the good they will do.
The Utah governor is generally described as a moderate. Not everyone, though, is pleased with his record on the environment. A lot of environmental leaders say he has not done an especially good job.
Critics point to the governor's plan to build a major road through wetlands near the Great Salt Lake. A federal court stopped that project. Critics also say Mister Leavitt is too willing to permit the use of public lands for oil 4)drilling, mining and tree-cutting.
His 5)nomination⁶ to become the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency requires approval by the Senate. The Senate plans to hold confirmation⁷ hearings in September.
This VOA Special English Environment Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.
注释：
1) Utah [5ju:tB:] n.犹他州
2) cleanup [5kli:n7Qp] n.获利
3) copper [5kCpE] n.铜
4) drilling [5driliN] n.钻孔；（采矿）钻井
5) nomination [nCmi5neiFEn] n.任命

1 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。

2 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

3 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。

4 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

5 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。

6 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

7 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。