ENVIRO WATCH:Beijing's bad air quality could disrupt Olympic Games

Air quality remains a major problem in Beijing that could end up disrupting next year's Olympics, the International Olympic Commitee said Thursday.The thick industrial haze that often shrouds China's capital has been frequently cited as a main threat to the successful hosting of the August 8-24 Olympics. "The environment is a big problem, the air quality is a big problem," senior IOC official Hein Verbruggen told reporters, adding some events could be postponed. "Well you might wait a day or two (to stage some events)."Verbruggen, the IOC's Coordination Commission chairman, was speaking after three days of talks with the Beijing Olympic organising committee (BOCOG).Two months ago, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Olympic officials were prepared to take the unprecedented step of postponing some events, particularly endurance competitions, if the air pollution was too severe.His comments caused a stir among Chinese Olympic officials, and Verbruggen sought to highlight on Thursday that such delays were "normal, standard procedure that we have.""There is nothing, and I repeat nothing, that is of any risk or danger that we see for the organisation of next year's Games," he stressed."So we can still look at a whole lot of green lights as far as the preparation of these Games for next year is concerned."He said BOCOG was doing a "perfect job" in the run-up to the Games, adding that IOC officials were in daily contact with Beijing to iron out difficulties as the Olympics approached.Jiang Xiaoyu, BOCOG executive vice president, said Beijing had prepared contingency measures that included stopping construction work and closing polluting factories if air quality remained poor during the Games."I believe that we can overcome all obstacles and overcome all risks to running a very sound and successful Olympic Games next year," he said.
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