KCCI and Ministry of Environment Hold Environmental Policy Meeting... "Some Suggestions Accepted"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Ministry of Environment held an environmental policy meeting on the 20th to discuss industry requests.

On the day, KCCI jointly held the "Corporate Environmental Policy Council" with the Ministry of Environment at the KCCI Hall in Namdaemun-gu, Seoul. The Corporate Environmental Policy Council, held twice a year, is a forum where the government and companies discuss environmental policies and industry issues.

At this meeting, about 20 key corporate representatives from KCCI attended, including Baek Jae-bong, Chairman of the Environment and Climate Committee (Advisor at Samsung Economic Research Institute), Lee Bang-su, Vice Chairman (Vice President of LG), Jeong Gwang-seong, Vice Chairman (Executive Director of Korea South-East Power), Yoon Seok-jung, Director of Samsung Safety and Environment Research Institute, and Lim Ho-sang, Director of Hanwha Safety and Environment Research Institute. The Ministry of Environment was represented by about 10 officials, including Vice Minister Park Cheon-gyu.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Baek said, "In a time when domestic and international economic conditions are challenging, compounded by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), companies are facing many concerns," and urged, "Please implement balanced environmental policies that protect public health and the environment while helping companies overcome the current crisis."

Vice Minister Park Cheon-gyu stated, "This year, the Ministry of Environment plans to focus its capabilities on 'comprehensive response to fine dust that citizens can feel,' 'climate crisis response,' and 'green industry promotion,'" adding, "We will strive to reflect industry opinions in the implementation of new systems to ensure they operate effectively."

During the meeting, the Ministry of Environment expressed its intention to accept some of the companies' suggestions related to environmental policies. Company A stated, "Due to the enforcement of the Air Quality Management Zone Act, most manufacturing facilities must install Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (TMS) by July next year," and lamented, "Facilities operating 24 hours can only stop operations during scheduled maintenance, making it practically difficult to install TMS within the deadline." The Air Quality Management Zone Act, effective from April next year, requires businesses in the Seoul metropolitan area, central region, southern region, and southeastern region to be allocated total allowable emissions of air pollutants every five years, with penalties imposed for exceeding the total. In response, the Ministry of Environment said, "For continuously operating facilities, if a self-installation plan is submitted in advance, the installation deadline will be extended."

Company B said, "More companies are seeking consulting firms to handle the government's integrated permits for environmental pollution facilities," adding, "Costs vary widely among agencies, and many demand high fees without clear cost calculation bases." According to the Integrated Management Act for Environmental Pollution Facilities, large-scale businesses must obtain integrated permits for emission facilities, which were previously permitted separately under individual laws such as air and water quality. The Ministry of Environment responded, "We will accept industry opinions and disclose a recommended standard cost estimate for integrated permit agency fees within this month."

Additionally, the Ministry of Environment agreed to industry requests including ▲differentiation of emission allowance allocation standards for old and new facilities under the Air Quality Management Zone Act ▲improvement of classification of air pollutant emission facilities considering industrial development ▲exemption of air pollution measurement by optical gas detection cameras during adverse weather conditions.

Furthermore, the meeting included various industry requests such as ▲measures to stabilize emission permit prices ▲expansion of wastewater reuse scope from within a business site to other sites. The Ministry of Environment decided to conduct further review on these matters.