Beijing to close polluting plants
Beijing will close factories and force 19 heavy polluters to reduce emissions by 30 per cent for two months around the Olympics and Paralympics to improve air quality for athletes, a Beijing official said yesterday. The measures, from July 20 to September 20, are an attempt to fulfill the city's commitment to provide clean air for the games, said DuShaozhong of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau. Further measures will be taken in neighbouring Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shandong.