<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>BEIJING - After days of hazy, dark skies raised concerns about pollution levels during the Olympics, wind and rain helped clear Beijing's air Tuesday and officials hoped it will stay for the games' start next week. The heavy haze was among the worst seen in Beijing in the past month, despite drastic pollution controls put in force July 20 that included pulling half the city's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads. It is not known how much the measures, which also included halting most construction and closing some factories in the capital and surrounding provinces, have helped. Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters that the air quality had greatly improved in July compared to the same month last year. Since July 1, all pollutants have been reduced by 15 to 20 percent, Du said. There have been 25 days of clean air in July, he said, two more than the same period last year. Du also confirmed that Beijing could institute emergency measures if air pollution worsens during the games, and said a contingency plan was already in place. The official China Daily newspaper said Monday that Beijing could pull more cars from the roads and shut down additional factories as part of contingency measures if air quality worsens during the Olympics.</div> Link
