Law passed to reduce air pollution

Fees on certain fuels, solvents and older machines will be used to reduce pollution 50 percent by 2015

Ulaanbaatar’s air pollution has been talked about for many years. At last, a law on fees for air pollution has been adopted. The main concept of the law is that a person or an organization that pollutes the air will pay money and air pollution will be reduced with this money. As it is a new form of duty, it will not be effective on a broad scale and the legislation imposes fees on 6 subjects. For instance, a duty of Tg1 is imposed on each kg of coal being extracted by industries. With the accumulated money, a conservation fund will be founded.

The law also includes a clause that if a coal mine operates a processing plant, it will be 100 percent exempted from the fee. Additionally, the law creates a mechanism to not burden coal extractors. For example, coal extractors in Nalaikh and Baganuur districts can be exempted from the fee if they process coal. The law on air pollution fees is not just way of receiving money, but is directed in the reduction of air pollution and creates leverage for companies to produce end-products.

In the law, automobiles that operate on electricity and gas, or new cars, have been exempted from the fee. Depending on amount of carbonic acid gas emitting from automobiles in the air, different fee amounts will be imposed. It means that the fee will be higher if an automobile has a larger engine. State administrative organizations responsible for road and transportation are working to settle size of fees in collaboration with the government.

Besides smoke, the smells from organic solvents pollute the air as well. People who stay in rooms whose walls were painted with Chinese paint are particularly vulnerable to suffer from allergic and asthmatic reactions. The fee is to be imposed on organic solvents because there are main air polluters. Government sets a fee worth Tgs10-30 per a kg on organic solvents depending on their toxicity and evaporability.

Moreover, power stations and thermo stoves are involved in the fee because they emit smoke and dust. Ts. Banzragch, chief of Sustainable Development and Strategy Department at Environment and Tourism Ministry, said “It is the newly adopted law. The ministry’s main principle ‘polluter shall pay’ has become the main principle of this law. In other words, recent activities are conducted to reduce air pollution of Ulaanbaatar with all tax payers money while only some people pollute the air. All people should obey the law. I would like to give one example. I saw a person on TV saying, “Condensed fuels provided by the city administration is not good and I would like to use crude coal.” Using crude coal is harmful not only for him but his family members as well. It is not just the work of the Environment and Tourism Minister and UB Mayor, but all citizens are responsible for reducing air pollution.

Citizens need to pay attention to these matters.” Government approved the ‘Fresh Air Fund’ rule and monies from the fee will be accumulated in this fund, not the State Budget. It is estimated that Tgs30 billion will be accumulated in 2011. It is intended to reduce air pollution by 10 percent in 2011 and 50 percent by 2015.

source: 'The Mongol Messenger' newspaper