Suwon to Create a 'Safe City' Free from Chemical Accidents

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon City announced on the 22nd that it has established a '2022 Chemical Accident Prevention Plan' to prevent chemical accidents and respond quickly in the event of an accident.

The chemical accident prevention plan, which sets its vision as 'Suwon, a chemical safety city free from hazardous chemicals,' consists of three major strategies—▲rapid and thorough chemical accident response, ▲worry-free accident prevention, and ▲creation of a safe city through cooperation—and 9 implementation tasks.

First, to enable rapid and thorough response to chemical accidents, the city will establish a 'Regional Chemical Accident Response Plan' and conduct chemical accident response drills. The city will also install signage at chemical accident evacuation sites and expand the designation of evacuation areas. Chemical accident prevention tasks include 'chemical accident prevention text alert service,' 'education for chemical substance handling facility managers,' and 'chemical safety consulting for small and micro businesses.'

The city plans to establish a 'chemical safety city' based on cooperation with the local community by operating a 'Chemical Accident Management Committee' and concluding rapid support agreements between companies in preparation for chemical accidents. The city also plans to visit cities and counties where chemical accidents have occurred and benchmark response measures.

The city is building a chemical accident preparedness system, strengthening expertise, and creating a 'chemical safety city.' In 2016, it enacted the 'Suwon City Chemical Accident Response and Community Right-to-Know Ordinance' and established a 'Chemical Accident Management Committee.'

After establishing a 'Chemical Substance Management Basic Plan' in 2017, the city integrated corporate 'hazard management plans' into the regional emergency response plan and standardized them. In 2019, the city completed the construction of a hazardous chemical substance handling information database for facilities within the city that are not included in the Ministry of Environment's statistical survey and produced an emergency response manual.

In December 2020, the city produced the 'Suwon City Chemical (Environmental) Accident Response Manual' and distributed it to chemical substance business permit facilities within the city.