Gyeongnam Special Judicial Police Caught Company Dumping Waste Disguised as Fertilizer on Site

Unauthorized Dumping of Over 50 Tons of Wastewater Sediment and Others

Gyeongnam Province's special judicial police have caught a waste disposal company illegally dumping about 50 tons of organic sludge, a type of business waste.

On the 29th, according to the provincial special judicial police, the company disguised the dumping of organic sludge, which is sediment generated from wastewater, sewage, and livestock wastewater treatment plants, as normal compost spreading on farmland.

A truck is illegally dumping organic sludge, which is business site waste.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

The special judicial police, preparing for the busy farming season and the possibility of illegal waste disposal disguised as farmland maintenance or compost spreading, inspected areas around waste disposal companies near farmland and caught the illegal dumping on site.

Upon tracking and inspecting the waste source, the special judicial police found that the waste disposal company was licensed to produce vermicompost and worm farming using organic sludge generated from business sites.

Organic sludge matching in particle size, color, and odor to the sludge dumped on farmland was found at the company's treatment facility.

However, there were almost no worms being raised, which should have been present to process the incoming waste.

Gyeongnam Province special judicial police are inspecting illegally dumped waste.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

Based on the collected evidence, the special judicial police obtained a confirmation from the waste disposal company’s representative regarding the illegal dumping of waste, and the illegally dumped waste on farmland was promptly collected and properly processed.

Illegal dumping of business waste can result in imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to 70 million won, and the waste disposal company may face administrative sanctions including a six-month business suspension.

Kim Eun-nam, head of the Social Disaster Division, stated, “Recently, illegally dumped or filled waste on farmland is often difficult to distinguish from ordinary soil, so do not be easily deceived by offers to fill land for free or spread compost. Always verify whether the material is waste.” He added, “We plan to continue monitoring and cracking down on illegal waste disposal activities to protect the valuable property of residents and the environment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.