Santiago Chile: Environmental Emergency Declared due to Smog

dw.com reported Chilean authorities have declared an environmental emergency in response to dangerously high pollution levels in the capital, Santiago. The city last resorted to such a measure 16 years ago. Santiago regional governor Claudio Orrego said the emergency measures, to come into force Monday, would require 3,000 factories and other businesses to shut down. The move will also force 40 percent of the capital’s 1.7 million cars to stay off the roads. The emergency measures are the first to be implemented since 1999. The emergency status is the highest on the alert scale, and only applies when the air quality index reaches hazardous levels. Read Article