Provincial Public Hearing Held
Maximizing Effectiveness Through Resident Participation
Chungnam Province held a public hearing for residents on the 19th at the provincial government main conference room ahead of establishing the "2nd Chungnam Province Air Quality Management Implementation Plan (2025-2029)." /Provided by Chungnam Province
Chungnam Province has created an opportunity to gather residents' opinions in order to maximize the effectiveness of the final draft of the "2nd Chungnam Province Air Quality Management Implementation Plan (2025-2029)" before its establishment.
On the 19th, the province held a public hearing at the main conference room of the provincial government, attended by Do Jungwon, Head of the Air Quality Division, representatives from the Korea Environment Institute, Chungnam Research Institute, civic groups, industry, and about 100 residents.
This implementation plan is based on the "2nd Central Region Air Quality Management Basic Plan" announced by the Ministry of Environment last year, and is scheduled to be finalized by next month.
The goal is to reduce air pollutant emissions by 34,866 tons, which is about 10% of the 350,000 tons emitted in 2021, by 2029.
Kim Jongbeom, Senior Researcher at Chungnam Research Institute, presented the draft of the implementation plan, proposing 51 detailed projects across five sectors to achieve an annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of 15 ㎍/㎥, which is the environmental standard, by 2029.
The main projects include: ▲analyzing the impact of converting coal-fired power plants to liquefied natural gas (LNG), ▲diagnosing processes at high-emission facilities using advanced equipment, and ▲strengthening management standards for oil storage facilities.
In addition, the plan includes: ▲designating and implementing enhanced management measures for focused control zones of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ▲establishing an Odor Management Center (tentative name), and ▲installing and operating a photochemical monitoring network for ozone (O3) management.
Do Jungwon, Head of the Provincial Air Quality Division, stated, "The 2nd implementation plan currently being established is a five-year plan for air quality management, designed to address local issues while ensuring consistency with higher-level plans. We will do our best to create clean air quality that residents can truly experience by reflecting the various opinions presented at the public hearing."
Meanwhile, prior to preparing the 2nd implementation plan, the province improved air quality from 2020 to 2024 by focusing on 60 tasks across five sectors: power generation, industry, transportation, daily life, and policy.
As a result, the province reduced air pollutant emissions from about 400,000 tons in 2020 to approximately 320,000 tons in 2023, achieving a reduction of about 20%.
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