The Han River Basin Environmental Office announced on the 18th that it had conducted special inspections on 200 businesses with high-concentration air emissions in 11 regions including Gwangju and Paju, Gyeonggi Province during the 5th seasonal management period (from December last year to March this year), and detected 94 violations from 80 businesses.
During the crackdown, numerous businesses were found to have emitted a large amount of fine dust due to damaged air pollution prevention facilities or a lack of dust covers. Ten businesses exceeded the standard levels in the total emissions of hydrocarbons, formaldehyde, and hydrogen chloride, which produce ultrafine dust.
The Han River Office conducted intensive inspections by selecting businesses that emit high-concentration air pollutants using mobile measurement vehicles and drones. They also confirmed the occurrence of pollution by measuring samples emitted from chimneys in real time. During the period of high concentration of fine dust (from February 27 to March 31), they intensively checked businesses that emit a large amount of particulate matter and illegal incineration sites.
Head of the Han River Office Kim Dong Gu said, “Based on the results of this inspection, we plan to strengthen the management to reduce the emissions of ozone and fine dust during the ozone generation vulnerable period to be implemented in May as these emissions produce substances such as total hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. We will actively support the businesses’ autonomous management of air pollution.”
