Peter Simpson in Beijing – SCMP – Updated on Feb 28, 2008
“Beijing officials yesterday denied claims they had falsified pollution monitoring levels in a desperate bid to gloss over the capital’s poor air quality ahead of the Olympics.
It was reported last month that Chinese scientists had fiddled with statistics by dropping data from two of the city’s pollution-monitoring hot spots from their reports.
“This has not happened. This phenomenon does not exist. This is a misunderstanding,” Du Shaozhong, of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said.
“The monitoring stations have been improved. Our monitoring stations are larger, there are more of them and they are placed according to national regulations.”
US environmental consultant Steven Andrews also claimed in the report that without the changes made two years ago, Beijing would have fallen far short of its targets for reducing pollution levels in 2006 and last year.
But Mr Du said the accusations were unfair and that authorities had used monitoring devices like in “other cities” around the world, and “are constantly adding more and larger monitoring stations”.
“The statistics are accurate,” he said, adding that a website was available to the public to check the measuring stations’ data.
Pollution remains a major hurdle for Beijing to overcome as it seeks to allay fears that the Olympics will be blighted by smog.
In recent weeks, several prominent athletes and coaches have expressed concern about pollution, fearing it will affect athletes’ performances and health during the Games in August.
Last month, celebrated Ethiopian Olympian Haile Gebrselassie threatened to boycott his races because of fears about the capital’s air quality. And the International Olympic Committee said last year it would not hesitate to reschedule endurance events if pollution levels posed a health threat.
“The air quality in Beijing will definitely be up to international standards for the Games. Our targets will definitely be met, there is no doubt about that. We will honour all environmentally related pledges made,” Mr Du said.
Beijing had spent US$16.8 billion tackling pollutants over the past decade, he said.
Factories in neighbouring provinces will close and cars will be selectively removed from the roads in Beijing when the Games are on.
“); document.write(tmpText); Beijing officials yesterday denied claims they had falsified pollution monitoring levels in a desperate bid to gloss over the capital’s poor air quality ahead of the Olympics.
It was reported last month that Chinese scientists had fiddled with statistics by dropping data from two of the city’s pollution-monitoring hot spots from their reports.
“This has not happened. This phenomenon does not exist. This is a misunderstanding,” Du Shaozhong, of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said.
“The monitoring stations have been improved. Our monitoring stations are larger, there are more of them and they are placed according to national regulations.”
US environmental consultant Steven Andrews also claimed in the report that without the changes made two years ago, Beijing would have fallen far short of its targets for reducing pollution levels in 2006 and last year.
But Mr Du said the accusations were unfair and that authorities had used monitoring devices like in “other cities” around the world, and “are constantly adding more and larger monitoring stations”.
“The statistics are accurate,” he said, adding that a website was available to the public to check the measuring stations’ data.
Pollution remains a major hurdle for Beijing to overcome as it seeks to allay fears that the Olympics will be blighted by smog.
In recent weeks, several prominent athletes and coaches have expressed concern about pollution, fearing it will affect athletes’ performances and health during the Games in August.
Last month, celebrated Ethiopian Olympian Haile Gebrselassie threatened to boycott his races because of fears about the capital’s air quality. And the International Olympic Committee said last year it would not hesitate to reschedule endurance events if pollution levels posed a health threat.
“The air quality in Beijing will definitely be up to international standards for the Games. Our targets will definitely be met, there is no doubt about that. We will honour all environmentally related pledges made,” Mr Du said.
Beijing had spent US$16.8 billion tackling pollutants over the past decade, he said.
Factories in neighbouring provinces will close and cars will be selectively removed from the roads in Beijing when the Games are on.