China readies tougher Olympic pollution measures

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is mulling emergency plans to keep Olympic skies clear and may push more cars off the road in Beijing and nearby cities if wind or rain do not disperse smog build-ups, government pollution advisors said on Wednesday.

Scientists blamed a sultry haze that shrouded the host city over the weekend on an unusually long bout of hot, humid weather and say the combination is unlikely to be repeated during the Games, which start August 8.

But they are readying back-up plans for the showcase event -- just in case the rains stay away.

"The measures taken so far are already very comprehensive. We have to first evaluate if they had the desired effect...then in the event of any extreme weather conditions other things should be imposed," said Niu Fengrui, Director of an environmental research group at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The government has already cleared over half the capital's cars from its streets and shuttered factories dozens of miles away, but more Beijingers could soon be forced to use the subway.

In the capital, cars with dirtier engines could potentially be banned, or drivers only allowed out one day in ten, said Zhu Tong, a professor at Peking University and head of the Beijing Olympic Games air quality protection technology group.

However, because most people do not know their engine type and police cannot usually guess how clean a car is, it could be hard to catch people using banned vehicles, he told a news conference.

An easier option would be allowing people to drive only when the last number of the date matched the last number of their number-plate.

"We have to protect the health of the athletes without imposing too much on ordinary people," Zhu said, before adding that extra measures would likely last just one to three days.

IMPORTED POLLUTION

Advisors also suggested a wider rollout across the region of the measures originally intended largely for Beijing, including banning some cars and extending factory shutdowns, Zhu said.

The contribution from neighboring cities and provinces to Beijing's pollution is part of the reason it has been so stubbornly hard to clear.

But a visiting air quality expert warned that even drastic last minute cutbacks might do little to lift persistent haze.

"In this short a time-frame, even if you took all the personal cars off the highway, you might see another 10 percent improvement, but it would be small," said Staci Simonich, analytical chemist at Oregon State University.

That is bad news for athletes and officials.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it may reschedule endurance events such as the marathon to prevent health risks if pollution is bad. Tougher steps will come if pollution threatens competitions, Games officials have said.

But most seemed reluctant to address the worrying question of what Beijing's air is doing to the health of long-term residents, if such strenuous efforts are not enough to clear it up.

"Your health is important, and I care about my health, we have the same point of view," said Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' researcher Liu Zongchao when asked whether Beijingers should worry about the air quality after the Olympics.

(Additional Reporting by Lindsay Beck and Chris Buckley; Editing by Valerie Lee)