Pertamina asked to take lead out of gasoline

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has asked the state oil company Pertamina to phase out the use of lead as an additive in its gasoline by 1999 to reduce air pollution, a minister said yesterday.

"The President has instructed that leaded gasoline production be phased out because lead is dangerous to human health," State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said after a meeting with Soeharto.

Lead is used to enhance the octane power of gasoline, but lead particles in the air can harm people's cardiovascular systems and their intelligence, Sarwono said.

He said new generation gasolines need not use lead.

Sarwono said his staff had estimated it would cost Pertamina $US300 million to retool its refineries to produce unleaded gasoline.

He said Pertamina had planned to phase out the production of leaded gasoline but could not understand why it had not accelerated its program.

"Now we want the production of leaded gasoline to be phased out completely by 1999," Sarwono said, adding that the Association of Motor Vehicle Industries had agreed to help phase out leaded gasoline.

Sarwono said President Soeharto wanted more public transport vehicles to use compressed natural gas (CNG).

"The use of CNG which is now limited to a number of taxi cabs in Jakarta should be used by other means of public transportation," he said.

The President wants all means of mass transportation to use electric power or CNG in the long run.

Sarwono said that more cars would be equipped with converters to burn CNG instead of gasoline.

"I don't think converters will be a heavy financial burden for car owners because one unit only costs between Rp 300,000 and Rp 400,000 (US$127-$170). (06)