Pertamina asked to take lead out of gasoline

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)