RALPH WENGE CNN ANCHOR: The Polish government is focusing on another environmental issue: air pollution. Poland's air has excessive amounts of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide as well as cancer-causing agents. The country's bad air is mainly the result of its long-time dependence on coal as a primary source of fuel. Poland's TVP reports on the challenges facing the country as it tries to clear the air.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TVP REPORTER (voice-over): Poland has speeded up efforts to improve its environment to meet the European Union standards, but it is not an easy task. Due to its own negligence, and pollution from neighboring countries, Poland could face an ecological disaster in a few years. Ukrainian sulfur mines near the Polish eastern border have been contaminating the river Seine for 20 years. Although most of these mines have been shut down, sulfur is still rinsed out of the shafts by rain water. The southwestern part of Poland is also heavily polluted by factories and power plants in the Czech Republic and Germany; 30 percent of all sulfur dioxide produced in Europe falls onto this region. Another danger is toxic waste, a lack of a sufficient border- monitoring system,
Poland Has Long, Hard Road to Clean Environment