Simultaneous Processing of Permits Under Environmental Regulations Through Integrated Change Notification for Petroleum Sales Business
Reducing Civil Complaints and Enhancing Administrative Convenience by Simplifying Multiple Administrative Procedures
Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is the first in the nation to operate a deemed processing system for change notifications in the petroleum sales business (gas stations) starting this month.
According to Article 24 of the Framework Act on Administrative Procedures (Deemed Approval), this is a method of handling tasks where obtaining one permit is considered as having obtained multiple related permits.
Facilities related to the petroleum sales business are regulated under various environmental laws, requiring multiple procedures when registering changes. Gas station storage facilities are classified as volatile organic compound emission facilities under the Air Quality Preservation Act and as designated soil contamination management facilities under the Soil Environment Conservation Act, requiring separate notifications for each change. If an ancillary facility such as a car wash is installed, it must also be reported as a wastewater discharge facility under the Water Environment Conservation Act.
The district devised an amendment, including the addition of deemed processing provisions in the higher-level Petroleum and Petroleum Substitute Fuel Business Act, to establish administrative procedures for changes, aiming to resolve citizen inconveniences caused by multiple permits and to handle administrative tasks efficiently. The amendment was submitted to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy last month, and it is expected to take some time before the actual revision is enacted.
Accordingly, the district is proactively operating a system that accepts integrated applications for multiple permits only when there is a "change in business name and representative" during gas station change registration. Previously, applicants submitted notification documents for each facility according to relevant laws, and each facility manager processed them, but under the improved procedure, a general manager collects and notifies them.
After comprehensively reviewing operational issues and inconveniences, the district plans to actively identify and expand other matters eligible for deemed processing.
Applications for change registration can be made by checking the improved application form on the Gwangjin-gu Office website, preparing the required documents, and visiting the Environment Division. For more details, inquiries can be made to the Environment Division for guidance.
Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "We are operating this one-stop service for petroleum sales business permits to reduce the hassle of existing change notifications and prevent omissions," adding, "We will continue to actively discover improvement plans to simplify civil complaint procedures so that citizens can use accurate and convenient administrative services."
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