Ministry of Environment (Minister Cho Myung-rae) announced that Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Fine Dust Reduction and Management (hereinafter referred to as the "Special Act on Fine Dust") was approved by the Cabinet on Jan. 29 and the Special Act on Fine Dust will be enforced on February 15.
The Ministry of Environment launched the subordinate statute enactment procedure following the announcement of the Special Act on Fine Dust on August 14 last year, and confirmed details necessary to enforce the Act through pre-announcement of legislation and regulatory review.
(Recommendation of school closures, shortening of class hours, etc.) If the situation of high concentration fine dust emergency reduction measures occurs, the governors of the cities and provinces are able to recommend a temporary break or shortening of care hours for child care centers, kindergartens, and class hours of elementary, middle and high school to related organizations including Education Office.
In addition, in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of the Family-Friendly Social Environment Creation, the provincial governors are able to recommend a flexible working system such as time-lapse commuting, telecommuting, and part-time work in connection with the closure of the daycare center, kindergarten and school with a legal basis.
(Specification of range of vulnerable groups from fine dust) The government has specified the range of vulnerable groups as it is obligatory to provide protection measures to protect the health of vulnerable classes from fine dusts such as children and the elderly.
The vulnerable groups include 'the class are likely to fine dust exposure' such as outdoor workers and traffic facility managers as well as 'the class sensitive to fine dust exposure' including children, infants, the elderly, pregnant women, respiratory disease patients, heart patients, etc. so that protection measures of the government are strengthened.
(Operation adjustment of emission facilities) In addition to emergency reduction measures against fine dust, additional countermeasures against fine dust will be prepared for the emission facility of air pollutant in the seasons like spring and autumn when high level of fine dust occurs.
The Minister of environment is able to ask operators of the related organizations and facilities for various countermeasures such as change of operation hours, adjustment of operating rate, improvement of efficiency of air pollution prevention facilities and scattering dust reduction under the circumstances like seasonal causes and emergency situation.
(Vehicles subject to exception to travel restrictions) The scope of automobiles excluded from travel restrictions on the occasion of emergency reduction measures against high level of fine dust was specified.
The automobiles excluded from the scope of travel restriction were emergency cars, disabilities and national merits driving cars, special purpose vehicles such as police and fire, and environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric and hydrogen cars.
The range of business vehicles that need to be excluded is specified through the ordinance of cities and provinces in accordance with local characteristics.
(Formation and operation of the Special Measures Committee on Fine Dust) The official member of the Special Committee on Fine Dust consists of the Minister of Strategy and Finance and the head of 17 central administrative agencies and the term of civil commissioners shall be three years and they are able to serve consecutive terms by only one time and decided the method and criteria of the committee such as attendance of majority of the current members and   with a majority of the current members and agreement by a majority of those in attendance.
In addition, fine dust improvement planning group established for the efficient support of the task and management of the Special Measures Committee on Fine Dust will be composed of the related ministries with the head of the Social Coordination Division of the Office of State Coordination.
Kim Beop-jung, director of  Air-Environment policy of the Ministry of Environment, said, "the Ministry will do its best to make the 'Special Act on Fine Dust' be seamlessly implemented since Feb. 15 including the ordinance passed at the Cabinet meeting.