Yongin-si Implements Winter Fine Dust Reduction Measures

Focused Promotion of 23 Tasks in 6 Sectors Until March Next Year
Restrictions on Grade 5 Vehicle Operation, Agreements at 18 Construction Sites, etc.

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 7th that it has established an implementation plan for the 'Seasonal Fine Dust Management System' to reduce fine dust during the winter season and will promote it from this month until March next year.

The Seasonal Fine Dust Management System is a policy that implements strengthened fine dust emission reduction measures from winter, when high concentrations of fine dust occur, until the following spring. It has been in effect since 2019.

An electronic display board at the city limit of Yongin shows a notice restricting the operation of Grade 5 emission vehicles.
[Photo by Yongin City]

During this period, the city plans to focus on 23 tasks across six sectors: transportation, industry, daily life, health protection, interdepartmental cooperation, and the public sector, aiming to achieve a concentration of 30㎍/㎥ for ultrafine dust.

In the transportation sector, restrictions on the operation of Grade 5 emission vehicles will be enforced, along with measures such as emission reduction, support for eco-friendly vehicles, and regular emission inspections of operating vehicles. Accordingly, from now until March next year, the operation of Grade 5 emission vehicles will be restricted on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., excluding weekends and public holidays. A fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed on vehicles that violate this rule.

In the industrial sector, the city plans to implement measures such as reducing air pollutant emissions from workplaces, intensively cracking down on illegal emissions, and managing electricity demand systems.

To this end, on the 29th of last month, the city signed agreements with 18 large construction sites within the jurisdiction to reduce fine dust. Participating companies include Hyundai Construction, Seohui Construction, Hanwha Construction, SM Gyeongnam Enterprise, POSCO E&C, Lotte Construction, DL E&C, Doosan Construction, SK Eco Plant, Samsung C&T, DL Construction, GSND, Pungsan Construction, and Cowon Construction.

The companies have voluntarily committed to efforts to reduce scattered dust until March next year. Especially during periods when emergency fine dust reduction measures are issued, they will adjust or shorten work times that may generate large amounts of scattered dust, assign dedicated environmental personnel, and strengthen dust management around construction site entrances and exits. They will also regularly clean roads near construction sites using water trucks.

A total of 30.9 km across six areas within the jurisdiction have been designated as intensive management roads, where road surface cleaning will be conducted at least twice a day, two to four days a week. The water required for operating the water trucks will be supplied free of charge until 2024 through the urban recycled water supply system, the first of its kind installed in the city.

To eradicate illegal burning of agricultural waste or residues in rural farming areas, the city will conduct outreach education for farmers and expand the number of joint collection centers to 14 to ensure timely disposal of agricultural waste.

For facilities mainly used by sensitive and vulnerable groups such as infants and the elderly, the city will check the status of fine dust response measures along with winter safety inspections. Additionally, separate preventive education will be conducted for three intensive management zones, including Baegam and Geunchang-ri, which were designated as fine dust intensive management areas this year.

Furthermore, the city will strengthen crackdowns on illegal fine dust emissions at workplaces by utilizing fine dust emission monitoring personnel and will implement a two-day vehicle operation system for administrative and public institutions during emergency fine dust reduction measures.

A city official stated, "This winter, due to the influence of El Ni?o, atmospheric stagnation is expected to occur frequently, leading to higher fine dust concentrations," and added, "We hope citizens will actively participate in efforts to reduce fine dust."