Ecobreves – CHILE: Gas Stations Under Scrutiny

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

SANTIAGO, Jan 6 2002 (IPS) - The Superintendent of Electricity and Fuels in Chile has begun a detailed audit of the country's gas stations in an effort to ensure that quality is in keeping with the standards set by anti-pollution laws. Superintendent Sergio Espego reported Jan 2 that, as a result of the inspections, 20 gas stations have been closed in Chile.

The most frequent legal infraction was the mixing of gasoline with kerosene, which reduces the purity of the fuel and hurts engines, leading to higher emissions of toxic gases.

Under the Anti-Pollution Plan of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, launched in the early 1990s, the government is promoting the use of unleaded gas in this South American capital.