South Korea plans pollution crackdown during chuseok holiday
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will increase monitoring and enforcement of pollution regulations from September 18 to October 8, coinciding with the Chuseok holiday.
The ministry and seven regional environmental offices, along with local governments, will focus on facilities that release pollutants and areas vulnerable to environmental damage. Before the holiday, officials will send requests for self-inspections to over 31,000 facilities and conduct targeted checks of vulnerable locations.
During the holiday, the ministry will use drones and mobile monitoring vehicles to improve surveillance. They will also operate regional situation rooms and a public reporting hotline, 128, for citizens to report pollution. After the holiday, from September 28 to October 8, the ministry plans to provide on-site technical support to businesses struggling with pollution control. Last year, inspections of 2,328 businesses during the Chuseok holiday revealed environmental law violations at 103 facilities, or 4.4 percent of those inspected.
This year, the ministry will prioritize checking for issues like unpermitted emissions, exceeding emission standards, and malfunctioning pollution control equipment.
