[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is cracking down on illegal activities at fine dust emission sites.
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 9th that from the 14th to the 25th of this month, they will conduct intensive crackdowns on a total of 360 sites, including 240 construction sites generating large amounts of fugitive (scattered) dust and 120 air emission facilities such as plating and painting businesses that emit large amounts of volatile organic compounds affecting secondary formation of ultrafine dust.
The main crackdown targets include failure to operate wheel washing facilities, failure to install dust prevention walls and covers, and non-compliance with measures to suppress fugitive (scattered) dust at construction sites, as well as improper operation of air emission facilities such as non-operation or damage of prevention facilities and dilution discharge.
Under the current "Atmospheric Environment Conservation Act," a fine of up to 3 million KRW can be imposed if dust suppression facilities are not installed at construction sites or if wheel washing and spraying facilities are not operated. Additionally, operating unlicensed air emission facilities or failing to install air pollution prevention facilities can result in imprisonment of up to 7 years or fines up to 100 million KRW each, and discharging pollutants without passing through prevention facilities can lead to imprisonment of up to 5 years or fines up to 50 million KRW.
Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare, stated, "Economic activities are recovering to pre-COVID-19 levels, and since fine dust concentrations in the air increase every November, we will do our best to create a pleasant Gyeonggi Province through proactive crackdowns on major fine dust sources."
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