XN000022-1990-01-11 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1990

0.5 PER RESULT,

ΤΟ

"REDUCING THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF FUEL OIL FROM 2.5 PER CENT

CENT THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY WILL ACHIEVE THE DESIRED HE SAID.

WOULD

ALTHOUGH THE COST OF USING LOW SULPHUR INDUSTRIAL DIESEL BE SOME 40 PER CENT HIGHER THAN HIGH SULPHUR HEAVY FUEL OIL WHICH WOULD MEAN INCREASING OPERATING COSTY OF OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, MR BARNES STRESSED THAT WE MUST BE SURE THAT THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT SUFFER.

THE SECRETARY SAID THAT INDUSTRY'S COUNTER PROPOSAL OF A PHASED REDUCTION IN USE OF HIGH SULPHUR HEAVY FUEL OIL WAS

UNACCEPTABLE.

"PHASING THE REDUCTION OF SULPHUR CONTENT WOULD MEAN A DELAY IN REDUCING THE EXPOSURE OF PEOPLE TO POLLUTION, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PRESENT SITUATION DURING THE EARLY PHASES, НЕ

SAID.

"

ON METHODS ΤΟ REDUCE OXIDES OF NITROGEN AND PARTICULATES EMITTED BY MOTOR VEHICLES, MR BARNES SAID IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROGRAMME OF CONTROLLING SMOKY VEHICLES HAD ALREADY BEGUN.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT SPOTTERS FROM 150 TO 230.

HAD INCREASED

THE NUMBER

OF SMOKK

AN

AUTOMATIC ROAD,

HE

FURTHER DETERRENT MIGHT BE NEEDED IN THE FORM OF FINE APPLIED TO THE OFFENCE OF USING A SMOKY VEHICLE ON THE ADDED.

"ALSO, A MORE SUBSTANTIAL FINE, WHEN COMBINED WITH A STRICT TEST, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LICENCE CANCELLATION FOR SHOULD SEE A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN THE EMISSION IN-USE VEHICLES.

NON-COMPLIANCE, PERFORMANCE OF

"ALL THESE POSSIBILITIES ARE BEING EXAMINED,

"

HE SAID.

MR BARNES SAID THE GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY EMITTED MUCH MORE NITROGEN OXIDES AND RESPIRABLE PARTICLES.

WE

"THIS IS, HOWEVER, A COMPLICATED ISSUE AND EXAMINING VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES, INCLUDING FISCAL AND MEASURES, HE SAID.

..

ARE STILL REGULATORY

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