ILLEGAL EMISSIONS

[Anchor Lead]

As POSCO, South Korea's leading steel making company, is accused of illegally emitting air pollutants for decades, the provincial government of Gyeongsangbuk-do province is fueling the controversy by belatedly launching an investigation. Critics also point out that the regional environmental authority's disciplinary action lacks follow-up measures.

[Pkg]

Black smoke rises from a furnace chimney at the POSCO Pohang Steel Mill. The smoke is air pollutants emitted through the breather valve, an explosion preventive device mounted on the furnace. It should be opened only in emergencies, but POSCO has been periodically releasing fine particulate matters and hazardous substances through the breather without any special pollutant reduction measures. The Ministry of Environment had concluded last month that POSCO had violated the Clean Air Conservation Act. Subsequently, the provincial governments of Jeollanam-do and Chungcheongnam-do had notified POSCO steel mills in Gwangyang and Dangjin to suspend operations. But the Gyeongsangbuk-do government had not taken any measure beforehand, only belatedly launching an on-site inspection. However, the local government is not measuring the emission level of air pollutants. The local government claims that it's impossible to determine how much pollutants POSCO has been releasing into the air for how long since no air pollutant measuring device is installed on the furnace.

[Soundbite] (GYEONGSANGBUK-DO GOV'T EMPLOYEE (VOICE MODIFIED)) : "Nobody can measure the illegal emission level since there's no way to measure it."

Local residents stand to suffer the side effects of air pollution because of the environmental watchdogs' complacent responses.