BEIJING, April 14 (UPI) -- China's Environmental Protection Bureau is ordering a shutdown of all building sites in Beijing three weeks before the start of the Olympic games.
The move comes amid mounting concern athletes participating in the 2008 competition may become ill from the city's polluted air, The BBC reported Monday.
There are days when the air pollution is so bad in Beijing, it is hard to see more than a few blocks away, says BBC correspondent James Reynolds.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has warned he will postpone certain endurance events if pollution levels are excessively high.
In addition to the building site shutdown, Chinese officials are also banning digging, pouring of concrete and outdoor spray-painting before the start of the games.
Officials say they plan to do "everything possible" to honor their promise to provide a clean atmosphere for the Olympics.
