Busan City special envoy detects a large number of illegal automobile maintenance companies

#One. An automobile maintenance company in Gijang-gun, Busan, was caught by the Busan City Special Judicial Police for operating air pollution prevention facilities abnormally. Even though this company installed air pollution prevention facilities, it diluted the pollutants coming from the air emissions facility and discharged them into the air to save costs.

#2. An automobile maintenance company in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, was caught installing and operating an undeclared air emissions facility. This company operated an air emissions facility that did not receive type approval from the district office due to inconvenience, etc., and emitted fine dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.

Despite the government and local governments’ crackdown on environmental pollution and the strengthening of citizens’ awareness, a large number of maintenance companies have been caught setting up maintenance factories in residential areas and conducting illegal automobile maintenance.

On the 17th, the Busan City Special Judicial Police Department (Special Investigation Police) announced on the 17th that it had caught 26 companies in violation of the Clean Air Conservation Act through a special crackdown on illegal environmental pollution activities targeting 126 automobile maintenance companies near residential areas in Busan from January this year to last month. revealed. The special envoy plans to forward all 26 auto maintenance companies caught this time to the prosecution.

As a result of the crackdown, illegal activities were detected by 26 automobile maintenance companies, including 21 companies that installed and operated unreported air emission facilities, 3 companies that operated air pollution prevention facilities abnormally, and △2 companies that did not install air pollution prevention facilities. did.

All 21 companies that were caught installing and operating unreported air emissions facilities were caught not working in spaces (booths) that had been reported to the district office as air emissions facilities, but painting and separating work in empty spaces within the workplace. In addition, three companies that operated air pollution prevention facilities abnormally were caught working with the doors open for the purpose of lowering pollution levels, and mixing pollutants generated from air emission facilities with outside air. The remaining two locations were caught illegally discharging air pollutants such as fine dust into the air while carrying out sanding (separation) work without installing air pollution prevention facilities.

Volatile organic compounds generated during the car paint process fly into the air and create bad odors, and fine dust generated during sanding work is a major cause of not only worsening air quality but also respiratory diseases.

It was revealed that most of the companies caught in the crackdown lacked awareness or were not interested in environmental pollution. Due to the inconvenience and inconvenience caused by clogged filters during sanding work, there were many cases where existing reported facilities were not used or work was done in empty spaces within the workplace. It is said that some of these car painting jobs were carried out in corners of the factory to avoid public attention, making it difficult to detect illegal activities.

Under current law, anyone caught operating abnormally or operating without installing air pollution prevention facilities is subject to imprisonment for up to 7 years or a fine of up to 100 million won. Additionally, businesses that install and operate undeclared air emissions facilities will be subject to imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

Busan = Reporter Oh Seong-taek [email protected]

[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]