The United States Energy Department has approved building a huge nuclear waste burial¹ center at Yucca Mountain in the state of Nevada. The nuclear waste² dump would be used to bury about 7,000 tons of nuclear waste material.
美国国家能源部已经同意，在内华达州的加卡山脉建造一个大型核废物处理中心。这一核废料堆放区将用于掩埋7万吨核废料。

The material includes used nuclear fuel from power centers and waste from the production of nuclear weapons. The waste is now stored³ at power centers around the country. However, these power centers have little storage space⁴ left.
这些废料包括电力中心使用过的核燃料和制造核武器所产生的废弃物。这些废料现在被储藏在全国的各个电力中心。但是，这些电力中心再也没有存放核废料的空间了。

The federal government owns Yucca Mountain. No one lives there. It is in an extremely dry area more than 145 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
联邦政府拥有加卡山脉的所有权。山上没有人烟。它位于内华达州拉斯维加斯西北部145公里处一片极为干旱的地区。

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recently told Nevada state officials that the nuclear waste burial project is scientifically⁵ acceptable. He also said placing all of the country's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain would help protect against terrorist attacks⁶.
能源部部长Spencer Abraham最近告知内华达州政府官员，说核废物掩埋工程从科学的角度而言是可行的。他还说，把全国所有的核废料安置在加卡山脉将有助于防止恐怖主义袭击。

Mr. Abraham said he will ask President Bush to approve the project. Officials of nuclear power industries also support the plan.
Abraham先生说，他将请求布什总统批准这一工程。核能工业官员也支持这一计划。

However, there is much opposition⁷ to the plan. Opponents include environmental groups, Nevada state officials, the two United States senators from Nevada and the Senate majority⁸ leader.
但该计划也遭到了许多人的反对。反对派中有环保组织、内华达州政府官员、两位来自内华达州的参议员和参议院多数派领袖。

The dispute about Yucca Mountain has continued for many years. The federal government says the area is a good place for a nuclear waste dump⁹ because of its lack of population and low rainfall.
关于加卡山脉的争论持续了很多年。联邦政府认为该地区是一个安置核废料的理想场所，因为这里没有人烟，降雨稀少。

But opponents say the area is near inactive¹⁰ volcanoes¹¹ and has experienced earthquakes. Movements in the earth could spread the radioactive¹² material. Opponents say they are not sure if the rock could hold the waste and keep it from entering water underground.
但反对者认为这一地区靠近死火山，并且这里曾经发生过地震。地壳运动可能会扩散这些放射性物质。反对者对岩石是否能够保存这些废料并防止它们渗入地下水中缺乏信心。

Opponents also say the nuclear waste would have to be transported by trucks and trains across more than 40 states to reach the proposed¹³ dump. They fear accidents could happen during this travel. Any such accident could endanger¹⁴ the population.
反对者还认为核废料必须用卡车和火车通过四十个州运送到被提议的存放点。他们担心在运送过程中会发生事故。任何此类事故都将危及人类安全。

Congress still must approve the plan. Then the Energy Department must request permission¹⁵ for the project from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The commission must hold hearings. Then hearings¹⁶ must provide evidence that Yucca Mountain could hold the nuclear wastes for 10,000 years, as government rules require.
但国会必须批准这一方案。能源部进行这一工程必须获得核规划委员会的批准。该委员会则必须召开听证会。而听证会必须按政府的要求提供证明——证明加卡山脉能在一万年中使这些核废料不发生泄露。