Environmental Complaints in Pohang Steel Industrial Complex Show Clear Declining Trend

Pohang City Establishes and Operates Network-Type Environmental Monitoring System Around Industrial Complex

By deploying private environmental monitors in the Pohang Steel Industrial Complex, environmental complaints have significantly decreased through monitoring activities.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Since 2019, Pohang City in Gyeongbuk has installed an environmental complaint situation room for 24-hour day and night environmental pollution prevention and monitoring targeting pollutant-emitting businesses within the steel industrial complex, and has been deploying private environmental monitors to carry out surveillance activities.

The main monitoring activities include ▲patrolling and monitoring environmentally vulnerable areas and businesses repeatedly violating environmental laws ▲intensive monitoring of odor-emitting facilities ▲monitoring dust and noise generated at large construction sites ▲illegal dumping and burning of waste.

Since last year, to enhance environmental monitoring linked with private environmental monitors, 58 local residents interested in environmental activities were appointed as environmental monitoring agents and densely deployed in residential areas near industrial complexes. Complaints received are collaboratively handled with the environmental complaint situation room, operating an optimal monitoring system. As a result, complaints decreased significantly from 521 cases in 2020 to 372 cases last year, greatly contributing to the improvement of air quality in surrounding areas.

In 2020, to systematically manage odor sources, odor measuring equipment was installed at 18 locations in the steel industrial complex and residential areas for real-time odor monitoring. Thorough management of businesses is conducted through diffusion modeling and backtracking, and proactive preventive activities are strengthened for various complaints.

Shin Jeong-hyeok, Director of the Environmental Policy Division, said, “Although environmental complaints are showing a clear decreasing trend, we will continue to strengthen close monitoring activities until environmental pollution acts in vulnerable areas and pollution-concentrated regions are eradicated by expanding and operating environmental monitoring agents to the Buk-gu area, installing additional air measurement networks and environmental publicity billboards, and establishing an environmental monitoring system throughout Pohang City, thereby creating a pleasant environment that citizens can feel.”

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