Estrada signs Clean Air Act

Estrada signs Clean Air Act

MANILA (AP): Philippine President Joseph Estrada signed a landmark Clean Air Act into law on Wednesday despite strong lobbying by some businesses and oil companies, which said their costs would rise as a result of tougher pollution limits.

Air pollution has already reached alarming levels in the Philippines, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He said some businesses "threatened to close shop because they cannot follow everything in our laws." But he said he resisted the lobbying and decided "in favor of the majority".

The three major Philippine oil companies -- Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell and Caltex Philippines -- estimated they would spend at least six billion pesos (US$158 million) to upgrade their refineries to meet the new air standards.

A key feature of the law is a ban on the use of incinerators.

Greenpeace antitoxic waste campaigner Von Hernandez said the law makes the Philippines the first country in the world to approve a nationwide ban on incinerators.