West Germany takes action against smog

Emergency antipollution measures were extended yesterday as smog blanketed northern West Germany for a second straight day: Coal- and oil-burning factories in the Braunschweig-Wolfenb"uttel industrial area were ordered to cut production and reduce emissions by 40 percent.

Radio announcements urged West Berlin's 1.9 million residents to keep their thermostats at 65 degrees and to avoid driving.

Citizens in the port city of Hamburg, 18 miles from the East German border, were told ``to avoid doing anything that would contribute to air pollution.''

West German environmental authorities said much of the smog was caused by East German factories and power plants which use dirtier grades of coal.

Authorities said the situation was compounded by East Germany's lax pollution controls and by this year's unusually cold weather, which has forced coal-burning power plants to work overtime.

A West German spokesman criticized East Germany for not making an effort to correct the situation.

``It is unreasonable for West Berlin and Hamburg to be forced to halt their automobile traffic, while in East Berlin or Magdeburg those partly to blame for the smog drive their cars without limit,'' said Eduard Lintner, parliamentary spokesman on inter-German relations for the governing Christian Democrats.

Officials said hazardous pollution levels would persist at least through today.

Earlier in the week, West Berlin had taken stricter action, banning the driving of most private automobiles on Sunday and Monday.