Photo = Youngpoong

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The Yeongpyeong Seokpo Smelting Plant in Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do, has been ordered to cease operations for about two months due to illegal wastewater discharge, among other violations.

The Ministry of Environment and Gyeongsangbuk-do announced that they imposed an administrative suspension of operations on the smelting plant from February 26 to April 24 next year.

Earlier, in April 2019, the Ministry of Environment's special inspection team discovered illegal wastewater discharge and the installation of unauthorized pipelines at the smelting plant, violating the Water Environment Conservation Act.

In response, the Ministry of Environment requested a total of four months of operational suspension, with two months for each violation, to Gyeongsangbuk-do in April 2020.

However, in December 2020, following a review by the Administrative Coordination Committee under the Prime Minister's Office, Gyeongsangbuk-do reduced the suspension to two months, lowering the penalty to one month for each violation.

Despite the reduction, the smelting plant disputed the decision and filed a lawsuit against Gyeongsangbuk-do in January 2021, seeking the cancellation of the operational suspension.

After losing both the first and second trials, the plant's appeal was finally rejected by the Supreme Court on October 31 of this year, confirming the government’s victory and allowing for the operational suspension to proceed.

 

 

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