The Guardian/Associated Press:
Rio de Janeiro will not make good on its Olympic pledge of slashing the flow of raw sewage and garbage into the Guanabara Bay, where the 2016 Games’ sailing and windsurfing competitions are to be held, the state’s top environmental official has acknowledged.
The promise to cut the flow of pollutants into the bay by 80% was a key part of the city’s Olympic bid document and widely held up as among the most enduring legacies of the games. But with just one and a half years to go before the showcase event, it has become increasingly clear that the target wouldn’t be met.
Rio’s new state environment secretary, Andre Correa, told reporters on Friday he couldn’t provide an estimate of how much officials would actually succeed in cutting the flow of pollutants into the bay.
“Removing 80% of the pollutants? It’s not going to happen, it’s not going to happen,” said Correa, who took office earlier this month.
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