Beijing yesterday urged enterprises, factories and construction
sites to reduce their pollutants and emissions during the upcoming
vehicle-reduction drill.
All polluting sources must ensure their emissions meet the
required standards so as to avoid affecting the drill, the
municipal government said.
To improve air quality and ease traffic congestion during the
Olympic Games next year, the government has ordered nearly half of
the 3 million vehicles in the city off the roads from August 17 to
20.
The drill is to examine the correlation between air quality and
the number of vehicles on the road.
The reduction of vehicle emissions is a key solution to
improving air quality and is in accordance with international
practice, He Kebin, a professor of the Tsinghua University was
quoted as saying by Beijing Evening News.
The results of the correlation test will be more accurate when
pollutants from coal burners, construction sites and industrial
factories are put under control, Du Shaozhong, deputy head for the
Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said.
"This is the duty and responsibility of all polluting
enterprises in Beijing," he told about 130 representatives from
factories and enterprises at a meeting on Friday.
All sewage treatment facilities in the city should also reduce
their emissions during the drill, he said.
Studies show that vehicle emissions and pollution from
industrial enterprise, coal boilers and burners, and construction
sites largely contribute to the air pollution in Beijing.
Despite the city's efforts to improve its air quality since
1998, progress has been thwarted due to the continual use of low
sulfur coal in some factories and insufficient environment
protection measures at constructions sites.
Li Wei, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government,
said the tests would enhance monitoring of polluting
enterprises.
Those who do not comply with the standards, will be exposed in
the media and will be punished, Li said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2007)
