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'ACTIONS TAKEN BY MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR AIR POLLUTION MANAGEMENT IN SRI LANKA By Sampath Aravinda Ranasinghe, Environment Management Officer-Grade 1, Ministry of Environment & Renewable Energy, Sri Lanka

Interventions in Air Pollution Control

The policy interventions to date in mitigating air pollution have been the following.

•	The National Environmental Act (NEA) of 1980 as amended in 1988 prohibits any discharge of pollutants into the environment including emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. •	The National Environmental (Protection and Quality) Regulations of 1990 prohibits the discharge of wastes into the environment. Discharge standards have been prescribed by the CEA for liquid wastes and the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) has prescribed emission standards for sulphuric acid plants. •	The CEA in December 1994 gazetted national ambient air quality standards for Sri Lanka. These regulations do not, however, address vehicular air pollution. •	The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulation of 1993 ensures that any new project undertaken under the prescribed list undergoes a full EIA or an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) before a licence is issued for implementation.

1. Interventions in Mobile Emission Control

Reducing emissions from motor vehicles is an important component of an overall strategy for reducing air pollution. One essential approach to reducing air pollution caused by vehicle emissions is to eliminate lead from gasoline in year 2003. Formulation of vehicle emission standards was also taken place in 2003. Prohibition of importation of two stroke three wheelers also contributed a significant ambient air quality improvements in the country. Formulation of fuel quality standards was completed in 2003 with stepwise improvements to cater for the deteriorating ambient air quality arisen from emissions of increasing vehicle fleet in the economic development process. In addition to above, there were several fiscal policy decisions taken in time to time by increasing custom duties of smaller vehicles and reducing duties of electric and hybrid vehicles to reduce the air pollution caused by vehicles. Such as,

•	Fiscal Instrument was applied in the form of increasing annual road tax for diesel vehicles in order to restrict the growth of diesel vehicles. •	CLEAN AIR 2000 ACTION PLAN: It was introduced to restore the gradually deteriorating air quality of CMA through various control measures. •	The National Environmental Act (NEA) has been amended in August 2000 giving more powers of enforcement •	Establishment of Air Resources Management Centre (AirMAC) in 2001 under the Ministry of Environment, with the participation of all the relevant stakeholders. •	Updating of Clean Air 2000 Action Plan and preparation of Clean Air 2015 Action Plan •	Import of gas conversion kits that allow vehicles to use Liquid Petroleum gas •	Initiation of Vehicle Emission Testing Programme 2003 •	Gazetting of National Environmental (Air Emission, Fuel and Vehicle Importation Standards) regulations No 01 of 2003 to be effective from 2003. This included Vehicular Exhaust Emission Standards, Fuel Standards and Vehicular Exhaust Emission Standards for Importation of Vehicles. •	Phasing out of unleaded petrol by year 2002 island wide •	Provision of 5000 ppm sulphur diesel island wide in 2003 •	Provision of 3000 ppm sulphur diesel island wide in 2004 •	Selection of two private sector companies, Cleanco Lanka Pvt Ltd and Laugh Ecosri Pvt Ltd to operate and implement national wide vehicle emission testing program •	Establishment of Vehicle Emission Testing Centres island wide both fixed and mobile stations •	Ban importation of two stroke three wheelers 2008 •	Establishment of Sri Lanka Vehicle Emission Testing Trust Fund to operate and manage the Vehicle Emission Testing Program 2009 •	Start implementation of the Vehicle Emission Testing program on within Western Province in November 2008 •	Start implementation of the Vehicle Emission Testing program on within Southern, North Central and Central Provinces in May 2009 •	Start implementation of the Vehicle Emission Testing program on within Sabaragamuwa, Uva and North Central Provinces in December 2009 •	Awareness creation and training of Officers and technicians involved in the VET process

1.1. Establishment of Air Resources Management Centre (Air MAC) - 2001Italic text

Clean Air 2015- Action Plan calls upon existing institutions dealing with urban air pollution control, to play different roles ranging from policy making to air quality monitoring, together with enforcing laws, ensuring regulatory compliance and undertaking research and development on technology for air pollution control. It allows the establishment of functional linkages between many institutions dealing with environmental management. It is an updated version of the Clean Air 2000 Action plan prepared in 1992. Actions proposed include the establishment of an institutional framework encompassing relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, Commissioner of Motor Traffic (CMT), Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Traffic Police, National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) and Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) to manage air pollution in Sri Lanka. As the first step Air Resources Management Centre (AirMAC) was established in 2001.

1.2. Phasing out of Unleaded GasolineItalic text

It is known that prior to the elimination of lead in gasoline, eighty to ninety percent of lead in air is from automobile emissions. Lead is a cumulative, protoplasmic poison that affects health in numerous ways. The best known hazard is its effect on the neurodevelopment of children. Following the widely publicized and pioneering research of Needleman this is known to take place even at low levels of exposure. During the period of leaded gasoline used in Sri Lanka, it was found in a study that blood Lead levels are high in Colombo Traffic Policemen.

In June 2002, Sri Lanka shifted completely to unleaded gasoline and the entire SAARC region is now “lead free” from gasoline additives. As shown in Figure 8, the air quality measurements in Colombo carried out by National Building Research Organisation has demonstrated a drastic drop in road-side atmospheric lead. Significant change occurred in blood lead levels of children as a result of this lowered atmospheric lead, indicating the enormous benefits of the use of cleaner fuels.

1.3. Banning of Two Stroke 3 WheelersItalic text

Recognizing the growing problem of urban air pollution associated with the use of three wheelers with two stroke engine technology, the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting held on 22.01.2007 has approved the following recommendations made by the then Minister of Environment in his Cabinet Memorandum number 001/2007 dated 04.01.2007 under the title "Improving the Urban Air Quality by regulating the use of Two Stroke Three Wheelers".

i.	To direct the Controller of Imports and Exports ii. to prohibit import of three wheelers powered by two- Stroke petrol engines with effect from lst January 2008 and iii. suspension of import of the full engine by lst January 2011 iv. engine block and cylinder head by lst January 2013 in order to avoid local assembly of two stoke engines v.	To grant a grace period of six (06) months for registration of three wheelers powered by two-stroke engines imported prior to 1st January 2008; and vi. To direct the Commissioner of Motor Traffic to suspend registration of three ¬wheelers powered by two-stroke petrol engines with effect from 1st July 2008. vii. This intervention too contributed significantly to the improvement of urban air quality and reduction of the impacts of air pollution in the transport sector

 1.4. Implementation of Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) ProgramItalic text

VET Programme is an outcome of a FR application by a citizen in 1999. In this FR Case (No. SC/569/98 dated on 2nd November 1999) the Supreme Court ordered this Ministry to prepare and regulate the vehicle emission, fuel and importation standards of vehicles. Subsequently the relevant regulations were gazetted in year 2000 under GE/1137/35 under the National Environmental Act No 47 of 1980. (These regulations were subsequently amended again in 2003 (GE/1295/11). VET programme is started from 17.11.2008 from the western province and now it is implementing in Island wide under the supervision of the Department of Motor Traffic and Ministry of Environment & Renewable Energy. AirMAC is undertaking the monitoring and evalution of the VET programme with the support of all the relevant stakeholders.

2. Industrial Emission

For the control of air pollution from industry sector, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has set out the stationary source emission standards and all the industrial sector pollution loads are expected to be controlled through these standards. Another important point is that one of the factors considered in the development of these standards is fossil fuel quality used in energy sources of the industrial processes. With the existing fuel quality levels in Sri Lanka, it is also difficult for industrial community to manage their emissions within the standards. Specially, the sulphur content in fossil fuel contributes significantly for the industrial air pollution by generating sulphur dioxide in large quantities. Thus, CEA has already submitted the stationary source emission standards formulated for the approval of the Department of Legal Draftsmen for gazetting the standards.

3. Fuel Quality Improvement

It is proposed to strengthen the vehicle emission standards to reduce air pollution caused by motor vehicles as the present standards are very basic and less-stringent. But introduction of more stringent vehicle emission standards will not guarantee the improved ambient air quality in the country without enforcing the fuel quality improvements.

However in Sri Lanka, Hon. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources under Section 32 of the National Environmental Act, No 47 of 1980, read with Section 23J and 23K of the Act gazette the regulations for the emission related fuel quality standards on 30th June 2003. This regulations may be cited as the National Environmental (Air, Fuel and Vehicle Importation Standards) Regulations No 01, 2003 and was planned to implemented with effect from July 01, 2003. Accordingly, the Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation (CPC) was able to provide the 5000ppm sulphur Diesel since 01.07.2003, 3000 ppm sulphur Diesel since 01.01.2004 and 500ppm sulphur Diesel (optional) with effect from 01.01.2007.

Further to above, use of poor quality fuel to propel modern vehicles is contributing to economic losses associated with replacement and repairs of corroded engines and parts due to use of poor quality fuels. Therefore, fuel quality improvement is in utmost importance in transport sector of the country. In addition, as per with MAHINDA CHINTHANAYA Development policy framework in Sri Lanka, prepared by Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance and Planning, it has been targeted to reduce the annual average PM10 particulate matter (particulates of  aerodynamic diameter  less than 10 micro meters) concentration  to the value of 40 mg/m3 by year 2016. With effects of previously implemented air quality management interventions, it was able to reduce to the value of 64 mg/m3 in 2011 from around 75mg/m3 in year 2002 (source: Central Environmental Authority).

In this regard The Hon. Minister of Environment has submitted a Cabinet Paper on "Enhancing the Quality of Fossil Fuels for Managing Air Quality in Sri Lanka" on 2012/08/15 to improve the quality of fossil fuels in Sri Lanka.The above memorandum was considered by the Cabinet Ministers along with the observations of the Minister of Finance and planning and approval was grantedto study all aspects pertaining to the enhancement of the quality of fossil fuels and to make recommendations to the Cabinet on the management of the quality of air and also on the institution where the proposed laboratory facility should be established. Accordingly, the final report of the above Ministerial and Technical Committee has been submitted for approval of the Cabinet of the Ministers on 2013.08.30.