[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has uncovered a large number of automotive exterior restoration and painting companies operating in the heart of the city that discharged hazardous chemical substances without properly installing air pollution prevention facilities.
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit announced on the 7th that it conducted a focused crackdown from the 12th to the 20th of last month on 50 automotive painting facilities within the province and found 13 businesses violating the Air Environment Conservation Act.
Among the violations, 12 companies installed and operated unregistered air emission facilities, accounting for the majority. There were also businesses that failed to report the commencement of operation of air emission facilities. The industries involved include ▲automotive exterior restoration companies (7 places) ▲automotive undercoating companies (2 places) ▲roadside painting companies (3 places) ▲automotive repair companies (1 place).
In major cases, Company A in Seongnam City mainly targeted new cars and operated an automotive management shop in a residential area, outwardly running a tinting workshop while creating a booth inside the business premises to perform undercoating work. Company B in Gwangju hid air compressors and spray guns in a warehouse instead of the workshop to evade the crackdown but was caught during this operation while performing automotive painting work.
Mr. C was caught carrying automotive painting facilities inside a vehicle and performing paint stripping and painting work on an unspecified number of vehicles by the roadside, discharging paint dust and other hazardous substances directly into the environment.
The provincial special judicial police plan to refer all these violating companies to the prosecution.
Inchi Kwon, head of the provincial special judicial police unit, emphasized, "Not only is the health of residents threatened by unregistered businesses discharging hazardous chemical substances, but many legally operating businesses are also suffering damages. We will continue investigations until such unfair practices are eradicated."
Meanwhile, exposure to large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene used in automotive painting can cause respiratory diseases and neurological disorders, and long-term exposure may lead to liver disorders and leukemia.
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