VOA标准英语2008年-EU Orders Italy to Clean Up Garbage

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
19 May 2008

The European Union's Environment Commissioner¹ Stavros Dimas says Italy must act immediately to resolve the garbage situation in Naples to avoid worse consequences on public health. As Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi prepares to hold his first cabinet meeting in the city this week, the EU has said it is prepared to assist Italy but there must be the will to resolve the problem. Sabina Castelfranco has this report from Rome.

Tons of garbage continue to block many sidewalks and streets in the center of Naples and its suburbs. Residents, sometimes forced to wade² through knee-high trash, no longer know what to hope for. They say a miracle is needed to resolve the crisis.

Trash collection came to a near halt in December because there is no more room for the garbage at local dumps.

In their despair and anger residents have taken to burning the trash at night, overturning dumpsters and throwing their garbage in the countryside. They have been attacking firefighters attempting to put out the fires. The situation appears to be completely out of hand.

One Naples resident says he has a young daughter and he is very scared for her. He says sometimes he won't take her out of the house because he is concerned about the air that she will breathe.

The new Berlusconi government has been giving assurances that the garbage crisis in Naples and the surrounding area will be dealt with and resolved. The prime minister is planning to hold his first cabinet meeting in the city on Wednesday and the trash issue will be at the top of the agenda.

"The situation is without question dramatic," says Italo Bocchino, a member of parliament and part of the governing majority." "The first thing hat needs to be done is for the garbage to be removed from the streets and in order to do this, new dumping sites must be found. So, he added, the first measures need to include the identification of such sites.

But many residents don't want dumping sites near where they live, nor do they want incinerators close by. Even a partial solution to the problem appears far away.

Mr. Berlusconi is expected to call in the army to help clear the trash off the streets. But where this will be taken is still unclear. Meanwhile the U.S. military based in Naples has also been concerned about the potential health risks caused by the uncollected garbage. Lieutenant³ Commander Wendy Snyder said a decision was taken to start sampling tap water and soil and analyze⁴ these.

"Our Navy community here was concerned about their health with the excess garbage that was in the area and the burning of the garbage and that in addition to learning about some of the news reports that came out about increased cancer rates in some areas," she said.

The Naples Doctors Association has also expressed alarm over the potential for disease from mice, cockroaches⁵ and other insects thriving in the mountains of garbage. The group's president, Giuseppe Scalera said the worst health damage could come from dioxins released from burning trash.

Dr. Scalera said that for the time being the situation is still under control but this is not the type of emergency that can last forever.

As the summer draws closer and temperatures will increase, concerns mount that health risks will only increase if something is not done quickly.

1 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。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

5 cockroaches   

n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句
• It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句