China plans Mt. Everest cleanup
BY CHRISTOPHER BODEEN China is planning a major cleanup operation for Mount Everest in 2009 and may limit the number of climbers and other visitors, Tibet's environmental protection chief was quoted as saying on Monday. The cleanup and new measures are planned for the second half of 2009, Zhang Yongze told the official Xinhua News Agency. China has already enacted some restrictions, including forbidding vehicles from driving directly to the base camp which is at 16,995 feet (5,180 metres), Mr Yongze said.