Gyeonggi Province Launches 'Private-Public Joint Environmental Inspection Team' for Seohocheon Stream Environmental Improvement in Suwon

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] The Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Environmental Management Project Office announced on the 21st that it will operate a 'Private-Public Joint Environmental Inspection Team' to prevent illegal wastewater discharge in the Seohocheon Stream in Suwon.

The Private-Public Joint Environmental Inspection Team is a pilot project to establish a system for constant local environmental monitoring by making enforcement agencies and local residents partners.

The provincial Metropolitan Environmental Management Project Office expects the project will be effective in strengthening autonomous management of wastewater-emitting businesses in the region and reducing blind spots in pollution source management.

The 'Seohocheon Stream' is a local waterway spanning a total length of 11.5 kilometers from Pajang-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon to Pyeongdong, Gwonseon-gu.

Originally a clear-water stream, it became polluted by domestic wastewater and contaminated water. From 2006 to 2015, Suwon City carried out the 'Seohocheon Ecological Stream Restoration Project.'

Since then, water quality and ecosystem conditions have improved significantly, but various issues including complaints from residents about factory wastewater continue to occur.

In fact, Company A, which discharged approximately 2,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day into Seohocheon Stream, received administrative sanctions for exceeding wastewater discharge standards and violating environmental laws due to the operation of aging wastewater treatment facilities, and has been conducting extensive improvements to wastewater treatment facilities since September of last year.

The inspection team is composed of inspection staff from the Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Environmental Management Project Office and approximately 20 residents from nearby areas. The main activities include investigating the discharge water conditions of wastewater-emitting businesses and observing signs of river pollution.

Inspection activities are conducted daily, with the results recorded and reported to relevant agencies to prompt follow-up measures such as improvements to wastewater treatment facilities and administrative sanctions.

Lim Yang-seon, director of the Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Environmental Management Project Office, stated, "Environmental pollution can always occur in all aspects of our daily lives. Activating local environmental networks through these activities greatly helps in monitoring pollution sources and improving awareness of environmental protection. We will continue to communicate with businesses and local residents through various policies going forward."

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Environmental Management Project Office conducted enforcement actions against a total of 303 illegal wastewater treatment-related cases last year, and referred 30 companies that committed serious violations to law enforcement authorities.