Wednesday, November 21, 2007 LTO 7 to conduct random emission tests
THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 will conduct a four-day simultaneous roadside emission testing on vehicles from Nov. 26-29 to check if owners are complying with the Clean Air Act.
Engineer Armando Bacul of the LTO Cebu City licensing office said that a one-day free emission testing on all vehicles will done at the LTO, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority today.
A press statement distributed during the Association of Government Information Officers Forum yesterday by the DENR public information officer revealed that as reported, 70 percent of air pollution is caused by vehicular emissions.
Yesterday’s forum focused on November as Clean Air Month by virtue of Proclamation 1109 issued in 1997.
The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau has initiated a series of activities such as emission testing to highlight the Clean Air Month.
“Air is a very important part that plays a pivotal role to the environment. The initiatives that will be taken are hoped to improve the quality of air that we breathe in Metro Cebu,” read the DENR press statement.
Tune up
With the theme “Let’s Tune Up to Clean the Air,” the activity encourages owners, drivers and operators to regularly test and check the emissions of their vehicles.
Bacul warned that vehicles emitting pollution beyond tolerable level set by law will face the corresponding penalties of P1,000 for the first offence, P3,000 for the second offense and P5,000 plus possible revocation of certificate of registration for the third offense.
Lawyer Noel Empleo of the DENR legal department said that based on the pollution data gathered from Naga City to Compostela town, there is still a fair state of air in Metro Cebu.
Cement plants
But he said the data does not include some areas, like the southern municipality of San Fernando, which is home to cement plants.
“I think we have to establish more airsheds in Cebu Province,” Empleo said.
Empleo said they have a lesser problem dealing with big companies because they employ pollution control officers who regularly report to DENR under oath. (EOB)
