Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on 12 Businesses for Illegal Wastewater Discharge During Rainy Season

Gyeonggi Province has uncovered 12 unscrupulous businesses that secretly discharged industrial wastewater into rivers during the rainy season.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police announced on August 7 that, from June 30 to July 18, they investigated 360 major wastewater discharge facilities across 31 cities and counties in the province, and detected 12 businesses that released specific water pollutants or industrial wastewater during the rainy season.

Among the main cases, Company A was caught operating a wastewater discharge facility for cutting and processing semiconductor automation parts without reporting it.

Graphic related to the Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit's 'Cases of Illegal Activities at Wastewater Discharging Businesses during the Rainy Season'

Company B was found to have illegally discharged specific hazardous water pollutants used in civil engineering work into a nearby public river via the sewage pipeline. Company C was caught releasing water pollutants from its discharge facility into a nearby stormwater pipeline.

Under the current Water Environment Conservation Act, operating an unreported wastewater discharge facility is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. Discharging specific water pollutants into public water bodies due to occupational or gross negligence is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. Discharging wastewater without routing it through prevention facilities is also punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.

Ki Ido, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police, stated, "The businesses caught this time exploited the rainy season to secretly discharge wastewater. We will continue to respond with zero tolerance to crimes that threaten the safety and health of residents."