Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam, Implements Strict Emission Regulations by Including 'Air Quality Management Zone'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Jucheol In] Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 4th that with the enactment of the Air Quality Management Zone Act in April last year, which expanded the air quality management zone previously applied only to the metropolitan area, air quality management will be further strengthened along with the enforcement of related laws.

In the air quality management zone, management of air pollution sources is mandatory, including the implementation of a total emission cap system for workplaces, detailed inspections of vehicle emissions, purchase and installation of eco-friendly certified boilers, and suppression of old diesel vehicles.

Accordingly, the total emission control system will be applied to workplaces classified as types 1 to 3 for air emissions within the county, strictly regulating the emission of air pollutants.

For diesel vehicles, if they fail to meet the vehicle emission standards, they must be equipped with emission reduction devices or converted or replaced with low-emission engines.

Old construction machinery that has not completed low-emission measures will be restricted from participating in civil engineering and construction projects ordered by public institutions. Only boilers certified as eco-friendly can be supplied and sold when installing or replacing household boilers, and according to Gyeongnam Province ordinances, small-scale emission sources such as wood-fired boilers may also be regulated.

Since inclusion in the air quality management zone changes the area to a region where detailed vehicle emission inspections are conducted under the Air Quality Conservation Act, vehicle emission management will become stricter, shifting from regular inspections to detailed inspections.

Volatile organic compound emission workplaces such as gas stations must install vapor recovery facilities by 2023 according to their scale.

Park Boseung, head of the Environmental Protection Division of Hadong-gun, said, "With the implementation of the air quality management zone in nearby Gwangyang, Yeosu, and Suncheon as well, we will do our best to improve the air quality of Hadong-gun, which is greatly affected by the prevailing westerly winds, and preserve the clean area."