VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #2322/01 1872224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 062224Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6084
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7441

UNCLAS LIMA 002322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Brasilia for Story 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV SOCI ALOW AMED AODE ECON USTR PE
SUBJECT: AIR POLLUTION IN LIMA WORSENING 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  A recent report issued by Peru's National Institute 
for Statistics and Information (INEI) concludes that Lima's air 
quality is deteriorating.  For example, airborne lead particles have 
increased by 119 percent compared with 2006.  All of the air 
pollutant levels for Lima are significantly worse than those of 
downtown Los Angeles, and particulate matter (PM 2.5) levels are 
more than six times higher than U.S. EPA standards.  The city's 
chaotic transportation is a principal reason for this pollution. 
The GOP needs to address the factors that are linked to political 
authority and municipal responsibility.  The city is home to over 
one-third of Peru's 28 million inhabitants, and the metropolitan 
area accounts for almost half of the country's $93 billion GDP.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  A report issued in April by the INEI measured the following five 
air quality components to determine the degree of pollution in 
downtown Lima:  total suspended particles (TSP), particles smaller 
than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM 2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), 
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and Lead (Pb) levels.  All of these, with the 
exception of TSP, are directly linked to vehicle emissions into the 
atmosphere. 
 
WORSE THAN L.A. IN ALL MEASURES 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  In 2007, all five measures showed an increase compared to last 
year's levels: 
-- TSP was 257 micrograms/cubic meter; 
-- PM 2.5 was 94.49 micrograms/cubic meter; 
-- NO2 was 69.47 micrograms/cubic meter (up 7%), 
-- SO2 was 63.66 micrograms/cubic meter (Up 19%); 
-- Lead was 0.23 micrograms/cubic meter (up 119%) 
 
Lima's PM 2.5 level is 6.3 times higher than U.S. EPA standards. 
The air quality in Lima is much worse than in downtown Los Angeles 
for all the pollutants measured:  lead is about 50 times worse, NO2 
is about 23 percent worse, PM 2.5 is about 6 times worse, and S02 is 
more than 12 times worse (LA info source: U.S. EPA). 
 
MOTOR VEHICLES TO BLAME 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  According to INEI, the main reason for this rise in pollution 
has to do with the age and quantity of the city's vehicles.  The 
average age of public transportation vehicles is 22 years. 
Transportation problems are not a novel issue in Peru.  In a recent 
report, the World Bank considered public transportation in Lima as 
deficient and chaotic.  According to this report, there are a total 
of 10.5 million trips made daily in Lima, 81 percent of which are 
made using public transportation, including taxis.  Less than half 
of the 56,000 public transportation vehicles currently operating are 
authorized to do so. There is one taxi for every 42 people in Lima, 
while in Buenos Aires, Argentina, there is one for every 233 people. 
 
 
¶5.  The constant vehicle emissions are concentrated in the central 
area of the city, and it is estimated that between 70 to 80 percent 
of Lima's pollution is caused by vehicles.  The main causes cited by 
the World Bank are:  composition and age of the vehicles, lack of 
emissions controls, excess supply of vehicles, low quality of fuels, 
and bad traffic.  The transportation system consists largely of 
privately-owned late-model buses and taxis. 
 
¶6.  These vehicular problems cause 13.2 million liters of gasoline 
to be needlessly used in Lima per year.  The problems also cause the 
emission of 1,000 metric tons of additional contaminants into the 
air, particularly particulate material, Nitrogen Oxides, and Sulfur 
Oxides.  This high degree of environmental pollution generates a 
high rate of respiratory illnesses, asthma and skin problems, 
especially in children. 
 
¶7.  Beyond deregulating the transportation sector during the 1990s 
(incentives were given for the massive imports of used vehicles from 
Asia), the GOP has done little.  A project for a much needed 
emissions control facility was recently abandoned because of issues 
in determining which government authority would supervise it. 
Furthermore, some GOP policies have the opposite effect. The 
government currently encourages dirty fuels by imposing higher taxes 
on cleaner fuels such as 90 octane gasoline and lower taxes on more 
contaminating fuels such as diesel. 
 
COMMENT: POLITICAL WILL NEEDED 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8.  Given that these pollution measurements show that Lima's air is 
worse than that of downtown Los Angeles, it's no surprise that 
residents here, including Embassy employees, experience increased 
problems with asthma and other respiratory illnesses.  However, with 
social and poverty issues taking up the GOP's time, reducing air 
pollution is not a government priority.  The pollution control 
problems are compounded because the GOP has not even defined roles 
for its agencies regarding public transportation and the 
environment.  Coordination between the Lima and adjacent Callao 
municipalities has also been traditionally limited.  A broader 
approach to reform is needed that will establish clear functions 
between government entities, create incentives for renewal of 
vehicles, and encourage rather than discourage environmental 
conservation.  Increased attention to environmental protection 
embodied in the pending U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) 
might help convince the GOP to focus more on improving the air 
quality in Peru's capital. 
STRUBLE