The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 3rd that it will conduct a concentrated crackdown on illegal discharge of sewage and waste water until August.
This crackdown aims to prevent the covert dumping of hazardous waste by taking advantage of the increased rainfall during the monsoon season, or the act of discharging pollutants into rivers under the pretext of facility damage. Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government inspected 361 business sites and detected 17 violations.
This year's main targets for the Seoul Metropolitan Government's crackdown include ▲business sites that discharge hazardous waste such as dyeing and plating ▲repeat offenders with previous violations ▲business sites located near rivers that pose a high risk of pollution.
The crackdown consists of three phases. First, during early June to July, a 'special monitoring and enforcement plan notice' will be sent to business sites that emit environmental pollutants in the city. This encourages establishments to conduct self-inspections and establish countermeasures.
In the second phase, vulnerable areas and establishments will be inspected. The inspections will be conducted by a joint monitoring team formed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 25 autonomous districts, and the Han River Future Headquarters. The third phase provides assistance to business sites facing difficulties due to heavy rainfall.
Jeong Seong-guk, head of the Water Cycle Safety Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, noted, 'Through this special monitoring, we will eradicate unethical environmental pollution practices to ensure that citizens can enjoy a safe and clean water environment.'