密歇根新闻广播 底特律的东部污染状况

When Amoni Pitts hears trucks working one street over from where she lives, she worries about being able to breathe.

I have asthma¹ real bad. I have trouble breathing. So, I feel like all this construction and dust and everything, it's not good for me, says Pitts.

Behind her house on Beniteau Street, trucks are making a parking lot for a Fiat² Chrysler expansion project that includes a new assembly plant and updates to the Jefferson North Assembly plant.

Like Pitts, many people in the area suffer from asthma. Rates for adults in Detroit are 29 percent higher than in the rest of the state. And hospitalization rates where Pitts lives are among the highest in the city, according to a 2016 report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Now, environmental activists⁴ are worried that pollution, which impacts people with asthma, is going to increase in the neighborhood because of the new plant. Why? Because of the paint. When paint is applied⁵ to vehicles, fumes⁶ are released. And those fumes contain something called volatile⁷ organic compounds or VOCs that can get into the air.

Michelle Martinez, a coordinator⁸ with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition⁹, says when she and other coalition members learned that a factory was coming here that really raised a red flag for us because we're already in illegal limits for volatile organic compounds here in the Detroit area.

Martinez says volatile organic compounds combine with nitrous oxide¹⁰ and heat to make ground level ozone¹¹.

So on high heat days we get ozone action alerts: Don't run your lawn mower¹². Don't fill your car with gas, because those immediate¹³ fumes actually create a toxic¹⁴ soup when heated up that make your lungs expand and swell¹⁵ up and it makes it very difficult to breathe.

Ozone is regulated. And because the Detroit region currently has more of it in the air than is legally allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency, Fiat Chrysler couldn't build a an assembly facility if it was going to add to the pollution in the area.

So the automaker needed to find a solution.

Greg Rose, FCA's Environment Health and Safety director, says the company looked at other plants that had figured out how to reduce pollution and copied what they were doing.

Without getting into all the technical details, Rose says Fiat Chrysler essentially¹⁶ designed its proposed factory to be able to heat up volatile organic compounds and break them down before putting them into the air. Rose says that should reduce pollution, but some harmful fumes will still get out. So the company had to think outside the box in order to meet the EPA's emission¹⁷ standards.

When you talk about air quality, you're really talking about a regional issue. Air is ubiquitous, so it doesn't stay put, it moves around, says Rose.

Using this concept, Fiat Chrysler figured out its expected emissions¹⁸ for the new Detroit plant. Then, it plans to offset¹⁹ that by reducing emissions at a nearby plant in Warren by the same amount, plus 10 percent more.

That's a ten percent reduction for the Southeast Michigan area so the overall air quality has been improved at the same time we're building a new facility, says Rose.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Well, not to Gregg Newsom, an activist³ living with his wife and kids near the forthcoming Detroit plant. He started the Facebook group Fiat Chrysler Impact Area Community News after finding a mailer on his door about the plant expansion. Newsom also has been covering plant developments for Detroit People's Platform, a social justice-focused media platform where he manages communications. For Newsom, Fiat Chrysler's move to try to get air quality permits by reducing pollution in Warren is discriminatory.

On the east side of Detroit we have here an increase of emissions in a predominantly black community. And they are reducing emissions in Warren, which is a predominantly white community. You just enter into this textbook environmental racism²⁰ equation in order to make this happen, says Newsom.

Community members and advocates got a chance to voice concerns at a public hearing hosted in April by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, known as EGLE. The regulatory agency also took comments online as part of the required air quality permit process.

What we overwhelmingly heard is that people wanted to protect their public health, they wanted to make sure they were okay, those living surrounding the plant, says Regina Strong, the Environmental Justice Public Advocate at EGLE, a new position created under Governor Gretchen Whitmer's administration in April. Strong says EGLE also heard from commenters that they wanted some level of benefit to the community in the process. They didn't want to just have an increase in emissions where they live and not see any opportunities for that to be mitigated²¹ in some way.

The decision of whether or not to grant the permit to pollute from Fiat Chrysler was left up to Mary Ann Dolehanty, EGLE's Air Quality Division director.

How EGLE responded to the application was to grant the permit with modifications²² based on comment we received from the community, says Dolehanty.

EGLE gave the car company until late October to present on two projects: one on additional air monitoring and another on a community benefit of its choosing related to air quality. If EGLE is not satisfied with what's presented, the agency says it can hold up the permit process.

Greg Rose with Fiat Chrysler says he's not sure exactly what the company will be presenting yet.

We'll request input²³ from the community – either through the city council or the local community – to make sure that we heard accurately²⁴ where their concerns were and that these projects had the ability to address them, says Rose.

In the meantime, activists are knocking on residents' doors to take inventory²⁵ of who has breathing problems. They plan to present this information to Fiat Chrysler. According to Gregg Newsom, who's been involved with the survey effort, the group is still working out how exactly it will use this information but it may request that Fiat Chrysler regularly issue air filters to homes where people have respiratory issues.

For now, EGLE has said that Fiat Chrysler can proceed with its plan to offset emissions in Warren. Which is why construction can be heard from Beniteau Street in Detroit.

Loretta Lloyd sits on a porch swing there surrounded by bright pink potted flowers. She'll be able to see the plant from here once it's finished. In general Lloyd says she sees the nearly 5,000 promised jobs as progress. And unlike her neighbor Amoni Pitts, Lloyd is one of a handful of residents on this block who say they're not worried about air quality.

We've got so many things out here in the air and so many things that burn up, I don't see it being any worse than what we already have, says Lloyd. My husband and I spend a lot of time sitting on the porch, but we spend a lot of time in the house, so if the fumes are out here, we'll just go in the house.

Meanwhile, Newsom, who lives a little bit further away from the plant but still in the impact area, says he and his wife are holding their breath to see which one of their three kids may end up with respiratory issues.

Laura Herberg's reporting was produced in partnership²⁶ with the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Detroit Equity²⁷ Action Lab, a program of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. The initiative is funded by the Knight²⁸ Foundation, Ford²⁹ Foundation and Community Foundations for Southeast Michigan.

1 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

2 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

3 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。

4 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》

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 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。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

11 ozone   

n.臭氧，新鲜空气

参考例句：

• The ozone layer is a protective layer around the planet Earth.臭氧层是地球的保护层。
• The capacity of ozone can adjust according of requirement.臭氧的产量可根据需要或调节。

12 mower   

n.割草机

参考例句：

• We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
• Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 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。

15 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

16 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

17 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

18 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

19 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

20 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

21 mitigated   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cost of getting there is mitigated by Sydney's offer of a subsidy. 由于悉尼提供补助金，所以到那里的花费就减少了。 来自辞典例句
• The living conditions were slightly mitigated. 居住条件稍有缓解。 来自辞典例句

22 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

24 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

25 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

26 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

27 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

28 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

29 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。