The Ministry of Environment (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s Ministry of Environment announced plans to revise regulations governing saline wastewater discharge from secondary battery production, aiming to better assess its ecological impact on marine environments.
The proposed amendments to the Water Environment Conservation Act and the Sewerage Act will be open for public comment starting December 5, with implementation expected early next year.
Saline wastewater, a byproduct of battery manufacturing, contains high levels of salts like sulfates, which can harm marine ecosystems. The current “salinity recognition system” allows wastewater toxicity levels to be assessed based on their impact on marine species rather than freshwater organisms like water fleas.
Under the new amendments, the testing process will include rotifers, which are more sensitive to sulfates, in addition to luminescent bacteria. The revisions also clearly define the six key ions considered salts: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and chloride.
Further, the proposed changes will expand eligibility for salinity recognition to facilities that have completed installing saline wastewater treatment systems and are undergoing trial operations.
The Ministry emphasized that these measures are critical to ensuring the safe integration of advanced battery manufacturing with environmental sustainability. Public feedback on the amendments will be gathered through the National Legislation Participation Center.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
