Yeosu Coast Guard Catches Vessel Secretly Dumping Oily Mixture at Gukdong Port After Tracking

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Perpetrator Identified Within Three Days by Pollution Investigation Team

Yeosu Maritime Police Station (Chief Choi Kyung-geun) announced on the 27th that they have caught a vessel that illegally discharged oily mixtures into the sea at Yeosu Gukdong Port after persistent tracking.

According to Yeosu Maritime Police, at around 9:35 PM on the 24th, a police officer on coastal patrol discovered a black oil slick (100m long, 1m wide) in the waters near the Gukdong Port pier area and immediately dispatched a containment vessel and personnel to the scene, conducting emergency containment measures after about six hours.

[Photo by Yeosu Coast Guard]

Subsequently, an emergency pollution investigation team was formed to investigate 12 vessels docked at nearby harbors for illegal oil discharge, while simultaneously securing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses.

Analysis of the leaked oil samples confirmed on the 26th that the oily mixture originated from the 340-ton auxiliary vessel A, docked at Gukdong Port, and the vessel operator representative B (in his 60s) was caught on charges of violating the Marine Environment Management Act.

The auxiliary vessel A, used for construction work, had rainwater entering through a damaged deck area, mixing with oil inside the vessel. During repair work, approximately 1,400 liters of oily mixture were illegally discharged into the sea using a submersible pump.

Oily mixtures and waste oil generated on vessels must be discharged into the sea using oil filtration devices that meet installation and operation standards or be properly disposed of on land through pollution storage facilities or oil tank cleaning companies.

Under the Marine Environment Management Act, intentional discharge of pollutants into the sea can result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.

Joo Jin-young, Director of the Marine Pollution Prevention Division, stated, "Acts of dumping oil or other pollutants into the sea will definitely be tracked and caught," and urged, "Marine workers should not discharge pollutants into the sea and must dispose of them properly."

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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