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Air quality for Beijing Olympics tops agenda for IOC inspectors
BEIJING - Air pollution in Beijing is on the agenda for International Olympic Committee inspectors, who are checking progress ahead of the 2008 Olympics.
IOC President Jacques Rogge has said unsafe levels of pollutants in the city might force some outdoor endurance events to be postponed or moved to another location.
After several clear days, a heavy layer of smog covered the city Tuesday as talks began between the IOC's coordination commission and Beijing Olympic organizers.
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The visit is the second-to-last by IOC inspectors before the games open Aug. 8. The final official visit is set for late January, although IOC commission chief Hein Verbruggen and others come more frequently.
With 36 of the 37 competition venues set to be completed by the end of the year and the last one -- the 91,000-seat stadium known as the Bird's Nest -- to be finished by March, the IOC is turning its attention to the environment and other details.
"It is like a long-distance runner," Verbruggen said in opening Tuesday's meetings. "Our final sprint could be the difference between a gold medal and silver medal when it comes to the organization of the games."
Verbruggen and China Sports Minister Liu Peng said test events this year had been largely successful. Verbruggen also lauded the Olympic equestrian venue in Hong Kong, which IOC inspectors visited on Monday.
"We are seeing top-quality venues being built for the games and, with a strong equestrian tradition in Hong Kong, we are convinced we will see some great equestrian performances in 2008," he said.
Yet if infrastructure isn't a concern, the environment has emerged as a problem for Beijing and the IOC.
The United Nations Environment Program plans to release a report Thursday on Beijing's efforts to host what the city calls a "green Olympics." Rogge is to address a two-day symposium on sports and the environment.
In a statement on its Web site, the IOC said it is concerned about the impact the environment has on athletes. It said it is also looking at the effect events like the Olympics have on the environment.
It is unclear whether Rogge and Verbruggen will press Beijing Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi - also president of the organizing committee - on the issue. But Rogge and Verbruggen have voiced alarm about Beijing's dirty air and its plans to clean it up for the 17-day games.
Visiting Beijing 21/2 months ago, Rogge said some outdoor distance events might be postponed because of the filthy air. Earlier this month, he repeated the warning.
"If we must move competitions, we will do so," he told the French newspaper Le Monde.
When the last IOC inspection team visited six months ago, Verbruggen asked Beijing for contingency plans "to guarantee that the quality of the air will allow the athletic performances that we expect to happen here."
Several conflicting reports have surfaced about measures to deal with the pollution during the games. Chinese news media have regularly reported that factories will be forced to close, but in a recent interview Liu said that was not the case.
Though the capital and surrounding areas have improved pollution controls, the booming economy and rampant vehicle growth has moved faster. The city of 17 million is adding 1,000 vehicles a day to its jammed roads. Simultaneously, a $40 billion makeover to prepare the city for the Olympics is generating thick clouds of ground-level dust, soot and noise pollution.
A four-day test this summer to remove more than 1 million vehicles daily from the streets met with moderate success. Skies remained gray, with high humidity and low-wind speeds failing to clear the August air.
Cars with even-numbered license plates were ordered off roads for two days, and vehicles with odd-numbered plates for the other two days. Emergency vehicles, taxis, buses and other public-service vehicles were exempt, and there were fines for noncompliance.
A similar plan is likely to be adopted during the Olympics. More subway lines are being built for the games.
London officials want spectators to use public transportation: Spectators attending the 2012 London Olympics will be encouraged to leave cars at home and arrive by foot, bicycle or public transportation.
London organizers estimate 500,000 spectators will attend Olympic events each day of the games, along with 50,000 athletes, officials and media.
"We want London 2012 to be the public transport games," Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said Wednesday. "This is not about banning people from using their cars but about making public transport, walking and cycling the most attractive option for spectators traveling to the games."
Each ticketholder will receive free public transportation the day of the event. There will be no private parking areas, except some zones for the disabled.
The busiest day will be Day 7, when organizers estimate 800,000 fans will use public transportation for the opening of the track and field, diving and cycling events at Olympic Park and the first soccer game at Wembley Stadium.
London's Olympic transportation plan, released Wednesday, suggests the games would have "a minimal impact" on regular commuters. It indicated milestones have been reached to improve railway access to Olympic Park in the eastern suburb of Stratford.
That includes the completion of the tunnel from Stratford to Kings Cross in central London, with testing of the seven-minute train journey to begin next month. During the games, trains are expected to arrive at Olympic Park every 15 seconds.
The light rail network has been extended to City Airport and the subway station at Kings Cross St. Pancras has been renovated.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone said $20.4 billion had been allocated to improve the public transport network.
©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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