Yeosu·Gwangyang Port Fine Dust Reduction: Four Organizations Join Forces

Yeongsangang Regional Office - Yeosu Maritime Affairs Office - Jeonnam Province - Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority Agreement Signing

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Four organizations have come together to reduce fine dust at Yeosu and Gwangyang ports.

The Yeongsangang River Basin Environmental Office of the Ministry of Environment announced on the 13th that it will hold a business agreement ceremony on the 14th with the Yeosu Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Jeonnam Province, and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority to reduce fine dust in the Yeosu and Gwangyang port areas.

This agreement is a follow-up measure according to the "Special Act on Improvement of Air Quality in Port Areas, etc." (enforced on January 1, 2020), the "Special Act on Improvement of Air Environment in Air Quality Management Areas" (enforced on April 3, 2020), and the "Comprehensive Plan for Fine Dust Management" (November 1, 2019). It is significant in that related organizations will strengthen cooperation to reduce fine dust in port areas, which have been blind spots until now.

Yeosu Gwangyang Port handled 311 million tons of cargo last year, ranking second nationwide after Busan. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically manage fine dust generated from ships, cargo trucks, and handling equipment used in the port.

The main contents of this business agreement include ▲ mutual sharing of air quality information, analysis, and research results within the port ▲ early establishment of port infrastructure to reduce fine dust ▲ strengthening support for low-emission measures for old diesel vehicles in the port.

In particular, the Yeosu Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority plan to install and operate 15 units of low-emission measures for old yard tractors and shore power supply devices by 2025, and install air monitoring stations to utilize data analysis for improving the port environment.

The Yeongsangang Office and Jeonnam Province plan to include the contents of this agreement and detailed implementation plans when establishing detailed implementation plans according to the "Basic Plan for Air Environment Management in the Southern Region," which was implemented on the 3rd of last month. They also plan to continuously secure budgets to enable early scrapping of old vehicles entering the port or attaching diesel particulate filters (DPF).

Ryu Yeon-gi, head of the Yeongsangang River Basin Environmental Office, said, “Cooperation among related organizations is important in managing fine dust emitted from ports,” and added, “We hope that through this agreement, continuous cooperation measures will be devised to help improve fine dust in port areas.”