Special Investigation Launched at Major Construction Sites Since Last December
27 Out of 150 Fine Dust Emission Sources Found in Violation
The Busan Special Judicial Police have launched a targeted investigation into air pollution violations, uncovering 27 illegal business sites.
The Busan Special Judicial Police, under the city government led by Mayor Park Hyungjoon, announced on the 10th that they had conducted a planned investigation into air pollution activities at 150 sources of fine dust emissions over a three-month period starting last December, in connection with the seasonal fine dust management program.
This investigation focused on construction sites and construction waste processing businesses, where large amounts of fugitive dust are generated, during the high concentration period for fine dust from December to March. The goal was to protect citizens' health and create a pleasant living environment.
The detected violations included: 8 cases of unreported fugitive dust-generating businesses, 11 cases of failure to wash transport vehicles, 6 cases of not installing dust-proof covers on stockpiled materials, and 2 cases of not operating water spray facilities during transfer processes, totaling 27 cases. These businesses will face administrative actions such as fines of up to 3 million won and orders to rectify their violations.
According to the Special Judicial Police, one company, a producer and seller of aggregates, was caught emitting large amounts of fugitive dust during the transfer process while operating crushing and screening facilities.
Another company was found to have caused fugitive dust on roads by failing to wash transport vehicles and spray water on the sides during the collection and transportation of construction waste.
One business was caught for neglecting dust suppression measures, such as not installing dust-proof covers, during construction work that generated fugitive dust in a sparsely populated urban outskirts industrial complex.
In the case of aggregate producers, it was found that they took advantage of the absence of nearby residential areas in the urban outskirts to install and operate crushing and screening facilities without implementing dust suppression measures, resulting in significant illegal emissions of fugitive dust. Continuous monitoring is deemed necessary.
Park Hyungjoon, Mayor of Busan, emphasized, "Fine dust is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) and can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems due to air pollution. We plan to conduct strict and strong investigations to protect citizens' health and ensure a pleasant air environment."
A business site that emitted a large amount of fugitive dust while installing and operating crushing and screening facilities during the aggregate production process. Provided by Busan City.
A construction site where soil is stockpiled without installing dustproof covers, causing dust dispersion. Provided by Busan City.
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