Gov't corrects data on fine dust emissions by LG Chem

The government said Friday that it wrongfully calculated data on fine dust emissions by LG Chem Ltd., days after it unveiled the outcome of its probe into chemical firms' alleged manipulation of pollutant emissions.

LG Chem and five chemical firms are alleged to have colluded with four measurement agencies to rig data on emissions of air pollutants over the past four years, the environment ministry and a local environment agency said Wednesday.

In particular, it said LG Chem manipulated records on the emission of vinyl chloride so as to show no problem even though it was discharged at levels 173 times higher than the standard.

But the ministry reversed its findings about LG Chem, saying that an unspecified company should be blamed for emitting vinyl chloride 173 times higher than the threshold.

Researchers at LG Chem (LG Chem)

It said a government official made a mistake in calculating the data, adding that the figure should be corrected to 15 times in the case of LG Chem.

The ministry earlier said a total of 235 chemical factories run by the six chemical firms located in the Yeosu industrial complex were found to have plotted with measurement firms in rigging data on fine dust emissions. (Yonhap)