We may no longer see aging vehicles in EDSA sooner than expected, as the government is already pushing to phaseout the older, high-polluting vehicles by June 2015.
According to ABS-CBN News, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing to advance the implementation of Euro 4- compliant fuel standards, as well as the phaseout of aging vehicles to improve air quality in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities in the country.
DENR had earlier said that 80 percent of air pollution in the metropolis comes from mobile sources, while only about 20 percent comes from stationary sources such as factories and other industrial establishments, and other sources, like open burning of waste or garbage.
As early as 2010, the DENR issued an administrative order requiring passenger and light-duty vehicles to comply with Euro 4 emission limits, subject to Euro 4 fuel availability, by January 1, 2016.
But DENR proposed to the Department of Energy that the deadline be imposed six months ahead, or in June 2015, citing the urgent need to improve Metro Manila’s air quality.
Why do we have to phaseout old vehicles?
So, what drove the DENR to make such a proposal? To answer that, we have to go technical.
DENR secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said the key to improving Metro Manila’s air quality is by addressing the biggest source of pollution and as such, requires the implementation of Euro 4 standards for automobile fuels and the scrapping of older, high-polluting vehicles that continue to hit the streets and emit carbon monoxide.
The Philippines is currently following Euro 2 emission limits. Euro 2 fuel types have a sulfur content of 500 parts per million (ppm), compared to 50 ppm for Euro 4 fuels. Sulfuric content in pollutants has been known to lead to heart and lung diseases, increased cancer risks and premature deaths.
Paje said the adoption of Euro 4-compliant fuels becomes necessary after the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau recorded the levels of total suspended particulates still over the acceptable or national annual-guideline value of 90 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/Ncm).
This, despite a 21-percent overall annual reduction from 2010 to 2013, or from 150 to 118 ug/Ncm.
Paje said in a statement:
“Air pollution has a direct impact on the health of our citizenry and the environment, and an indirect impact on our country’s economy because of the health costs. We are all breathing the same air; let us not subject ourselves to this silent killer for much longer,”
Impact on the automotive industry
EMB Director Jonas Leones expressed confidence that stakeholders from the automotive industry as well as owners of newer vehicles would not experience much difficulty with an earlier deadline since most vehicles manufactured recently are already compliant with or can be retrofitted to accept Euro 4 fuels.
Leones said independent players in the fuel industry are already selling Euro 4-compliant products.
Paje urged the Department of Transportation and Communications to phase out vehicles that have been in operation for at least 15 years in order to reduce the volume of vehicles in Metro Manila.
The environment chief said older vehicles consume more fuel and produce more emissions.
As an alternative, however, Paje suggested prohibiting older vehicles from plying major thoroughfares that are prone to heavy traffic.
He added that heavier traffic means more idling time for vehicles on the road and this leads to more emissions, and older vehicles have more toxic emissions.
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