Carcinogens Flowing for 4 Years at Jeonju Bread Factory

Fine of 5 Million Won for Violation of the Water Environment Conservation Act

A bakery factory located in Jeonju was caught releasing hazardous substances into wastewater for four years, substances so toxic they can cause cancer.

Jeonju District Court. [Photo by Jeonju District Court website capture]

On the 17th, the Jeonju District Court Criminal Division 3 (Presiding Judge Jeong Jae-ik) announced that it sentenced Mr. A (58), who was indicted for violating the Water Environment Conservation Act, to a fine of 5 million won. The company involved, also indicted on the same charges, was similarly fined 5 million won.

Mr. A operated a bakery factory in Wanju-gun and was charged with discharging acrylonitrile into wastewater from July 2019 to April 2023. The amount discharged is estimated to be unquantifiable. Acrylonitrile is a hazardous substance classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a colorless liquid with a distinctive odor, highly toxic, and used as a solvent and pesticide.

Anyone intending to install facilities that discharge specific water quality hazardous substances must obtain permission from the relevant authorities. However, Mr. A installed equipment to discharge hazardous substances without approval from environmental authorities or local governments and manufactured bakery products. He had been caught for the same offense before. In 2011, he received a summary order to pay a fine of 2 million won from the court, but no corrective measures were taken.

The court emphasized, “The substances discharged by the defendant can cause cancer and pose health risks to an unspecified large number of people, so strict punishment is necessary.” However, considering that “the defendant apparently did not anticipate that specific water quality hazardous substances would be detected during factory operations, and the amount of discharged hazardous substances did not exceed permissible limits,” the court imposed a fine.