New regulations aimed at cleaning up vehicle exhausts have been drafted by Government and will be introduced to Cabinet over the next few weeks.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said the legislation was "sitting on my desk as we speak'' and added that he hoped to have the proposals tabled in the House of Assembly before the end of the current session.

Dr. Brown refused to comment on the details of the regulations but it is expected that emissions standards for imported vehicles will be tightened and brought up alongside regulations in the US or Europe. In addition, the legislation could pave the way for more stringent rules affecting vehicles already on the Island.

Right now, the only way emissions are controlled is by visual checks of automobiles during their annual examinations at the Transport Control Department.

Stronger exhaust controls have been in the works since June, 1997, when then-Transport Minister Wayne Furbert pledged to clamp down on pollution.

And in February, 1998, The Royal Gazette reported that Government plans to clean up vehicle exhausts were "well underway''.

However, it was not until last February that Dr. Brown announced the legislation was in the pipeline.

Yesterday, Government environmental engineer Tom Sleeter said: "Currently, emission controls on vehicles sold here depend entirely on which market they're manufactured for.'' He said the majority of vehicles met general export standards and did not have emission controls, such as catalytic converters. Asked what the changes in the law would most likely entail, he said: "We would probably be looking at bringing the emissions regulations for imported vehicles up to the level of America or Europe.'' "This would mean that every new vehicle sold in Bermuda would have emission controls built into it.'' Dr. Sleeter continued: "After that we'd have to begin ferreting out the worst polluting cars that are already here on the Island.'' He said one way of doing this would be through the implementation of an inspection and maintenance programme as part of the annual test at TCD.

This would mean all vehicles would have to undergo an exhaust emission test, which would radically clean dirty engines.

Dr. Sleeter explained that the quality of Bermuda's air was "excellent'' overall because "we have very strict ambient air standards which for the most part are not exceeded''.

ENVIRONMENT ENV HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HOA