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HK Suppliers To Lower Pollutant Emission During Games

Monday, 04 August 2008 – Macau Daily Times

Hong Kong’s two electricity suppliers will cut their emissions of air pollutants by increasing the use of natural gas during the Olympic equestrian events, a government spokesman said yesterday.

The companies, Hong Kong Electric and CLP Power, will reduce the burning of coal, a major source of air pollution in the southern Chinese city, at their plants, the government said.

“We have already made proper arrangements with the two electric power companies. Throughout the equestrian events, they will increase the use of natural gas by 20 percent,” Edward Yau, Hong Kong’s secretary for the environment, told local broadcaster RTHK.

“We hope the measure will help improve Hong Kong’s air quality,” he said.

Concerns for the health of Olympic athletes and horses competing at the equestrian events were raised after pollution levels hit record highs in Beijing and Hong Kong last week.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong was making arrangements for unstable weather forecast for the first few days of the equestrian events, which begin August 9.

The Hong Kong Kong Observatory told RTHK it will likely rain and a typhoon was possible.

The observatory said yesterday in a statement it will issue additional detailed weather forecasts for the competition venues and has provided seven-day forecasts to help with planning.

A system to measure heat stress — the combined effect of temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation — has also been set up at the equestrian venue, the observatory said.

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