Political will vital to clean up the city's air

Political will vital to clean up the city's air

JAKARTA (JP): Experts and an official said yesterday that only
an effort of political will can clean up the city's air pollution
by phasing out leaded gasoline.

Compared to other pollutants, the use of unleaded gasoline is
a matter of policy, Nabiel Makarim, the deputy of the
Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) said.

Once the central government phases out leaded fuel, the air
here will be free of lead in a relatively short time, Nabiel
said.

"Bapedal would like to phase out leaded gasoline as fast as
possible. But it's not our decision," he said after a press
meeting with representatives from the Zurich-based Swiss
Foundation for Technical Development Cooperation, or
Swisscontact.

Other pollutants like smog, for instance, require constant
inspection as well as a raising of consciousness among vehicle
owners.

Members of Swisscontact, a private foundation working on urban
environments, said banning leaded fuel could improve air quality
by up to 40 percent within a year.

"There is no need to wait until 2004," David Kuper, the
foundation's resident representative said.

Swisscontact, he said, plans to campaign here for unleaded
gasoline, for which they have approached some government and city
offices, including state-owned oil company Pertamina.

Pertamina officials told them that unleaded gasoline will be
phased out by 2004 to allow time for the adjustment of refineries
and other changes, Kuper said.

Meanwhile representatives of the Indonesian Automotive
Industry Association, Gaikindo, said they were ready to adjust
engines as soon as the government imposes unleaded gasoline.

Another expert, Jurg Grutter, said introducing unleaded
gasoline only as an additional option would be both inefficient
and potentially counter-productive.

Last year Pertamina launched an unleaded gasoline called Super
TT, priced at Rp 1,000 per liter.

Grutter, the director of ProEco, an environment group working
with Swisscontact in San Salvador, said that leaded gasoline must
be phased out as unleaded gasoline is introduced. "Most consumers
will still buy regular gasoline, which is cheaper," he said,
citing experience in Costa Rica.

The potential harm is largely caused by consumers who choose
to buy regular gasoline when they feel they cannot afford the
unleaded type, Grutter said. "The only way to clean air is to ban
leaded fuel," Grutter said.

Dismissing fears of higher cost for the consumer, he stressed
the gains arising from less maintenance costs.

Introducing catalytic converters, so far the only technology
for vehicles to cut down pollutants, Grutter said, would be the
next stage after widespread provision of unleaded fuel.

Banning leaded fuel would mean only polluters pay for the air
pollution, instead of the general public, he said.

Nabiel said Bapedal and the Automotive Industry Association
will require all manufacturers to publicly announce the emission
standards of each make in the domestic media.

The Agency is also planning to test vehicle emissions in
office building carparks. (anr)