Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Conduct 'Intensive Crackdown' on Unauthorized Livestock Manure and Factory Wastewater Discharges

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit will intensively investigate water pollution acts such as unauthorized discharge of livestock manure and factory wastewater from the 7th to the 24th of this month in preparation for the rainy season.

The Special Judicial Police Unit announced on the 2nd that it will investigate 360 business sites in the province that discharge livestock manure and factory wastewater for acts including ▲ illegal discharge of livestock manure, compost, and liquid fertilizer into rivers ▲ leakage, discharge, or dumping of specific water pollutants, pesticides, etc. ▲ discharging water pollutants without passing through treatment facilities ▲ installing and operating livestock manure or wastewater discharge facilities without obtaining permission from the competent authorities.

This investigation is a measure to prevent water pollution such as green algae blooms and destruction of aquatic ecosystems caused by unauthorized wastewater discharge in advance.

Under the current "Act on the Management and Use of Livestock Manure," discharging livestock manure into rivers or discharging untreated livestock manure is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million KRW. Additionally, the "Water Environment Conservation Act" stipulates that installing and operating unauthorized wastewater discharge facilities is punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 70 million KRW, and leaking or dumping specific water pollutants and pesticides is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit, emphasized, "Water pollution acts such as secretly dumping wastewater into rivers on rainy days during the rainy season to save wastewater treatment costs frequently occur," adding, "We will strive to prevent water pollutants from being discharged into rivers in advance through this investigation."