英语翻译

Intoday’sthrow-awaysociety,dealingwiththecity’sgrowingmountainofwasteisanincreasingchallengeforthecitycouncil（市议会）.

Recently,Edinburghisfacedwiththeproblemofdisposingof（处理）about250,000milliontonsofwasteayear.Despitedifferentwaystodisposeofmuchofitinagreenmanner—largelythroughencouragingrecycling—itsagingfacilitiessuchasthePowderhalllandfilldonothavetheabilitytodealwithit.

TheEuropeanUnion(EU)hasissuedanewpolicy,regulatinghowsuchmountainsofwastearetobedisposedof.Thefivecouncils(Edinburgh,EastLothian,WestLothian,MidlothianandBorders)facefinesaround￡18millionayearfrom2013iftheydon’tincreaserecyclinglevelsandrelylessonlandfill.Withthisinmind,thecouncilsgottogetherwiththeideaofbuildingalargeincineratorplant（垃圾焚烧厂）toburnhalfofthewasteproducedintheirdistricts.ButthisplanfellapartafterthechangeoftargetlevelsbyanewUKgovernmentwastepolicywhichrequiredthatnomorethan25%ofthecity’swasteshouldbedisposedofinthiswayby2025.

Aftertheplanwasabandoned,aprivatecompanywhichalreadytransportedmillionsoftonsofthecity’swastebytraintoalandfillsitenearDunbar,offeredanalternativesolutionwhenitsuggestedopeningahugewastesitenearPortobello.

SincePowderhallissupposedtoclosein2015,itseemednecessaryforthemembersoftheEdinburghCounciltoacceptthesuggestion.Butsoontheyturneditdown—after700localobjectionsreachedthem—becauseitwouldhavemeanthundredsoflorriesadaymakingloudnoisethroughheavilypopulatedareas.

Thatstillleavesthecouncilwithaproblem.By2013,only50%of1995levelsofwastewillbeallowedtobesenttolandfill.Evenifrecyclingtargetsaremet,therewillstillbealargeamountofrubbishtobeburntup.Duetothis,EdinburghandMidlothiancouncilshavenowdecidedtoworktogethertobuildanincineratorplantastimetofindasolutionisfastrunningout.