Gyeonggi Province Expands 'Environmental Accountability System'

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 21st that it will expand implementation of the 'Environmental Accountability System' to resolve noise-related civil complaints caused by various construction projects and vehicle traffic, while continuously expanding its noise measurement network.

To this end, the province decided to actively introduce the Environmental Accountability System targeting 15,025 noise and vibration-related business facilities in the province, including 1,311 dust control construction sites and 13,714 noise and vibration emission facilities.

When the Environmental Accountability System is implemented, each business facility must install and comply with notification signs indicating the business details and commitment to actively reduce noise and vibration.

Following the implementation of the Environmental Accountability System for 259 large-scale business facilities in May of last year, the province decided to recommend participation in the Environmental Accountability System from all reportable business facilities in the province starting this year.

The province also plans to expand its current noise measurement network, currently limited to 43 areas across 7 cities, by adding 20 areas across 5 cities including Pyeongtaek, Uijeongbu, and Namyangju this year for a total of 43 areas, and further expand to 91 areas across 19 cities by 2010.

Once designated as a noise measurement area, noise and vibration will be measured five times per quarter at five designated points per area, allowing for damage mitigation measures to be prepared and enabling authorities to track and penalize noise sources as necessary.

Last year, a total of 6,771 noise and vibration-related complaints were filed in the province, of which 507 received various punishments including business suspension, facility closure, and improvement orders.

A Gyeonggi Province official stated, "The Environmental Accountability System is a measure to publicly announce the commitment of business facilities themselves to reduce noise and vibration, which Gyeonggi Province began as a pilot project last year," adding, "Going forward, we plan to encourage all noise and vibration-related business facilities in the province to adopt the Environmental Accountability System while continuously expanding the measurement network to enable scientific noise measurement."