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Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Clean Air Act ‘untimely’
By Christine Mae Pelayo
ENVIRONMENT Sec. Elisea Gozun has clarified that the implementation of the smoke emission test under the Clean Air Act will take effect in Western Visayas 12 to 18 months from now.
Gozun, who was in Bacolod City Monday to discuss environmental concerns in Negros Occidental, said the Department of Transportation and Communication and the Land Transportation office have already enforced the smoke emission test only in the areas of Metro Manila and Regions 3 and 4.
She said the role of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is only to set the standard on the Clean Air Act.
“The smoke emission testing center opened in Metro Manila last Jan. 1 and expanded to Regions 3 and 4, but for the rest of the regions, it will come after 12 to 18 months, so they still have time to prepare and condition their vehicles,” said Gozun.
She added that DOTC and LTO should conduct a dialogue with the drivers and the operators in the region.
“We should be preventive and not reactive. The reason why we require the smoke emission test for the vehicle’s registration is for the good of the environment. There is nothing that we could do because it is the law,” she said.
Jessie Ortega, United Negros Drivers and Operators Center secretary general, however, told Sun.Star Bacolod the implementation of the Clean Air Act is ‘untimely.’
He suggested that DOTC and LTO should conduct further study and improve information dissemination.
Ortega said Undoc has informed the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide that the implementation of the Clean Air Act will cause an increase in oil prices.
“It will increase the oil prices because oil companies will redefine their petroleum products. CMP
(January 15, 2003 issue)
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