Implementation of Integrated Environmental Management and Its Specialized Engineering Education in Korea: A Case Study

By inergency On Mar 5, 2024

[ad_1]

1. Introduction

The 1963 Act on the Prevention of Pollution in Korea initiated the resolution of environmental pollution problems. Environmental management began in an integrated manner owing to limitations of organizations and laws and was categorized according to media such as air, water quality, and waste management, as various environmental systems and laws were established, and management organizations were expanded [1]. However, the distribution of media-specific permits among pollutant-discharge facilities had various limitations, such as procedural complexity, superfluity, administrative inefficiencies, and lack of expertise [1,2,3]. In addition, the application of uniform emission standards, regardless of the industry, incurred social costs [4]. However, the most significant problem was that a workplace that emitted environmental pollutants could not be managed as a single pollutant source; each pollutant medium was distinguished, resulting in blind spots in pollutant and workplace management [5]. In the wake of the need for an improved environmental management system, the Ministry of Environment and various institutions that specialize in the environment in Korea worked to identify ways of resolving the problems of the system of permit- and management-specific pollutant media [6]. As a result of continuous efforts to improve this system, the Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities was enacted and promulgated in 2015 [7].

Integrated environmental management (IEM) is an advanced system for the comprehensive management of emission facilities, used to permit and manage pollutants individually at the workplace level [4]. In other words, it presents a paradigm shift from media-specific permits to cross-media permits. The system can aid in the transition from existing media-specific permits, thus reducing procedural complexity, and is being implemented in numerous developed countries as an advanced environmental management method [8]. As a representative example, pollutant emission facilities in the European Union (EU) have been managed using an integrated management method since the late 1990s through Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) [9,10]. Following this international trend, preparations for promoting IEM have been made in Korea since 2013 [11]. However, IEM personnel in workplaces, consulting institutions, governments, and permitting institutions is lacking. In addition, working-level officials in charge of existing environmental management tasks lack expertise on the specific processes and mass balance of workplaces according to industry, and professional instructors equipped to handle all areas, such as policy, practice, materials, processes, and environmental pollution are lacking [12]. Therefore, a specialized educational project was initiated in 2020 to train experts in the IEM field in Korea in conjunction with five universities selected by the Ministry of Environment to facilitate effective management.

Therefore, the aims of this study are to examine the history and strategy of establishing an IEM policy in Korea and review essential technologies, such as emission impact analysis and Best Available Technologies (BATs), that are applied in IEM in Korea. In addition, the specialized training program for IEM in Korea and the applications of the educational system, industry–academia cooperation, and research at University K, selected as representative examples, are discussed.

2. Materials and Methods

Since the preparation for IEM began in 2013 in Korea, related laws have been investigated, referencing the system adapted by the European Union, particularly Germany, and related data have been collected [9]. After the Act on the Integrated Management of Environmental Pollution Facilities came into force in 2017, 10 environmental permits related to air, water quality, and waste under 7 statutes were combined into an integrated environmental permit system [10]. The seven statutes are the Clean Air Conservation Act, Noise and Vibration Control Act, Water Environment Conservation Act, Malodor Prevention Act, Persistent Organic Pollutant Control Act, Soil Environment Conservation Act, and Waste Management Act [11]. Having started with the electricity generation, steam, and waste treatment industries in 2017, the integrated system was applied to 19 industries (1411 worksites) by 2021. Since the Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities and its Enforcement Decree were established in 2017, numerous related operating guidelines and reports have been issued by the Ministry of Environment in Korea. Numerous studies on IEM are actively being conducted by various emission-source companies and institutions specializing in the environment in Korea. Therefore, in this study, various statutes, guidelines, and reference documents on Integrated Environmental Management in Korea are reviewed and synthesized to present and elucidate the system and its characteristics.

To establish these sustainability policies, programs aimed to provide IEM expertise are being developed. For solutions with engineering input, the Korean Ministry of Environment has researched education programs in cooperation with various organizations. We analyzed the human resources training programs for the sustainability market. University K, which was selected as a specialized training institution for IEM in 2020 with the support of the Ministry of Environment of Korea, is the representative case study because it has been a leader in convergence education since 2004; it established the first interdisciplinary convergence departments in Korea and has been ranked at the top since the inception of the professional IEM training program. The case study analyzes whether learners who completed the program achieved the curriculum objectives, including specialized knowledge and common skills such as writing an IEM plan and performing emission impact analysis. In addition to the educational program, an industrial cooperative project and related research were investigated. The main aspects of this study are as follows:

Historical Background: Summary of the overall flow of the development of IEM in Korea.
Composition of policy: Operational techniques and systems of IEM.
The major technological elements of the policy include emission impact analysis, permit emission standards, and BATs.
Specialized educational project: Training program to reinforce expert capacity for IEM.

This case study is an analysis of the educational program for students enrolled in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering at University K. In these programs, it is important to ensure that the content provided to participants is appropriately structured to suit the market’s purpose [13]. To quantitatively analyze the program results, surveys as shown in Table 1 were regularly conducted, targeting training participants and field experts.

3. Results

3.1. Integrated Environmental Management in Korea

IEM was first introduced in Korea in 2017 to facilitate the existing emission facility permitting systems. The system is operated in workplaces with high pollutant emissions that can cause air and water pollution [14]. The history of policies related to environmental management and the main composition and characteristics of IEM in Korea are discussed in subsequent sections.

3.1.1. Historical Background

The Prevention of Pollution Act was enacted in 1963 in Korea, and the concept of emission facilities was introduced in 1971 [15,16,17]. Since then, environmental issues have diversified in the 1990s, and a management system for each medium has been established through the enactment of related laws [18,19,20]. However, environmental management was categorized according to different media, such as air quality, water quality, and waste, as various environmental systems and laws were established, and management organizations expanded. This led to the emergence of challenges such as superfluity, procedural complexity, and inefficient management [21]. In 2003, IEM regulations were developed by the Ministry of the Environment and various environmental institutions [7,22]. Subsequently, numerous experts from related fields participated in establishing IEM policy, which was implemented in 2017 [23,24]. Figure 1 shows Korea’s policy transformation history from the inception of environmental management regulation to the implementation of IEM policy.

After the implementation of IEM policy, the application period of the system was set for each industry and applied step by step for five years. In the early days of the system’s operation, it targeted 19 businesses with relatively high pollutant emissions and then gradually expanded to 22 businesses [25]. Workplaces operating before the introduction of the system were incorporated into the IEM program and encouraged to obtain permits within a four-year grace period [26]. As such, the scope of workplaces managed using IEM methods is gradually expanding in Korea.

The implementation of IEM indicates that the environmental management paradigm in Korea has shifted from media-specific management to sources with positive effects. In the case of existing media-specific permits, uniform emission standards were set without considering the workplace features; however, IEM sets emission standards based on the pollutant-emitting industry features and workplace region [27]. Uniform permissible emissions criteria have limited impact on environmental improvement and incur unnecessary social costs; however, the implementation of IEM has resolved these shortcomings. After permission was granted, media-specific management focused on detection and crackdown was replaced with an implementation verification method focused on self-monitoring in the workplace [7]. Formerly, in the case of permit duration, once approved, the effect of a permit was maintained indefinitely, and potential problems such as the emission of new pollutants and the aging of prevention facilities owing to process changes during workplace operations could not be solved [16]. However, in the case of the IEM system, permits are reviewed every five years, which can induce the technical development of environmental management methods [28].

3.1.2. Organization and Framework of Integrated Environmental Management

IEM constitutes an integrated permit application, integrated permit review, permit confirmation procedure, and post-permit confirmation management [28]. The pollutant emission source, that is, the discharge facility, applies for the integrated permit through an Integrated Environmental Permission System (IEPS). The Specialized Environmental Assessment Institute (SEAI) then reviews the permit contents, after which they confirm whether the discharge facilities are operating according to the permit requirements based on their operation notice. After approval, the facilities continue post-management through regular inspections. Figure 2 shows the overall operating system of IEM in Korea.

Through this process, an IEM plan constituting the main components for obtaining integrated permits is prepared and submitted. The main components, such as the establishment of permitted emission standards, integrated process charts, post-management plans, and the application of BATs, differ from those of the existing environmental permit system [29].

3.1.3. Major Techniques in Integrated Environmental Management

IEM is an advanced system aimed at resolving the problems of the existing permit system and having various scientific and technical differences from the existing method. The main technical components of IEM are as follows.

In the existing permit system, uniform permissible emission criteria for each media-specific pollutant as set by the Act are applied. The emission impact analysis is performed by considering the regional and industrial characteristics of the emission sources in IEM. Whether the environmental quality meets the target level is based on the analysis results, and the emission standards that meet the target level of environmental quality in the area where the emission source is located are selected and presented as permitted emission standards [27]. To present a scientific basis for this process, the degree of pollution is calculated using an air and water emission impact analysis program, and permitted emission standards for each emission source are established within the scope of no environmental impact under environmental standards [6]. The process of establishing permitted emission standards is shown in Figure 3.

The BATs represent the comprehensive environmental technologies that consider removal efficiency and economic efficiency in pollutant emission reductions [30]. The Ministry of Environment in Korea prepares and provides the BAT reference document (K-BREF) for more scientific-based IEM [31], and the BATs are applied to the integrated permission of the emission sources [32]. The K-BREF is a guideline for the efficient operation of Integrated Environmental Management. Since the implementation of the Integrated Environmental Management regulations in 2017, twenty-one references have been published in Korea. The K-BREF is used for overall system operation, such as providing emission impact analysis guidelines and technical information on environmental management techniques for emission sources [20]. The specific application fields are illustrated in Figure 4.

Through the application of the K-BREF in IEM, the limitations of the existing environmental improvement approach caused by uniform permissible emission criteria and social costs are addressed [33]. The lack of technical information and expertise can also be resolved through the provision of a K-BREF for each industry. This technology was developed through frequent reviews of permits and updates of the BATs, which can help solve the problems of new pollutants from process changes and old discharge prevention facilities. Consequently, it is possible to meet the demand for adequate environmental quality owing to technological development and economic development.

Table 1 shows a comparison of IEM in Europe and Korea and summarizes the system-related contents, such as the timing and scope of application. IEM in Korea has been modeled in Europe, and the system is flexibly operated with consideration of the current situation [5]. Since its introduction in 2017, the scope of its application has steadily expanded, and the system has been gradually developed [26]. In addition, K-BREFs for each industry are developed every five years. In line with the situation in Korea, where the semiconductor industry has developed, the world’s first K-BREF for semiconductor manufacturing was prepared and managed [34].

3.1.4. Educational Project for Training of Professionals on Integrated Environmental Management

As mentioned above, there is a clear limit to the effect of improving environmental pollution through the existing media-specific management of emission sources. The behavior of pollutants at each stage of the emission source and the integrated tracking and management of pollutants are essential [34], but experts who can comprehensively handle these aspects are lacking. Owing to the IEM regulations, which have been in effect since 2017, the industry’s demand for experts with overall knowledge of industrial processes and environmental fields has increased significantly, and education to train such experts is essential for the successful implementation of the system. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment and its affiliated organization, the Korea Environment Corporation (K-Eco), have been operating the Graduate School Project Specialized in Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (hereafter referred to as the IEM Educational Program) since 2021.

It is important to create professional personnel who can understand the existing integrated environmental management system and provide urgent, up-to-date information. The Ministry of Environment selects and invests in excellent higher education institutions in Korea through the IEM educational program to foster experts in IEM. In particular, universities specialize in educating these engineering experts so they may be optimized for developing and researching human resource education programs. The five universities selected through strict evaluation are supported by a total budget of more than USD 7 million (KRW 9 billion) and produce approximately 100 people with specialized training in IEM every year. Each university operates a specialized graduate school aimed at improving the technical skills of practical-oriented professionals in IEM through the systematic development of educational programs and research in connection with industries. The curriculum includes preparing an IEM plan, which is essential for applying for integrated permits, and major core common subjects, including the EIA. Additionally, each university conducts a convergence course between related majors and forms a joint industrial practice (consortium) curriculum.

3.2. Case Study: IEM Educational Program at University K, Seoul

A case study was conducted to better understand the programs of graduate schools specializing in integrated pollution prevention and control as promoted by the Ministry of Environment in Korea. University K, which was evaluated as the best case among the institutions selected for such programs, was selected and investigated as an expert training program for IEM. University K developed a human resources training program as a way to address integrated environmental management problems; analysis of this case can be useful for future applications in the field of sustainability.

The IEM Educational Program at University K has been in operation since 2021 and consists of an educational curriculum, research, and industry–academia cooperation, as shown in Figure 5. University K serves as a hub between the Ministry of Environment, policymakers, and the industries that implement the system, forming a positive feedback structure. To cultivate the experts required for the operation of the IEM policy, opinions from the government were collected, and various related industries and consortia were formed and exchanged to produce professionals with the necessary knowledge in the industry. To complete this program, it is essential to take courses related to IEM, participate in industry–academia cooperation programs, and conduct research. Students with sufficient understanding of IEM systems through the completion of the professional curriculum are immediately placed in the industrial field to meet the demand for professional experts in the industry.

3.2.1. Curriculum

With the implementation of IEM policies by industries, the need to cultivate professionals who can comprehensively understand pollutant tracking has increased. Therefore, the IMG Educational Program conducted by University K has organized and operated a professional curriculum to train experts. The curriculum consisted of subjects for the preparation of an Integrated Environmental Management plan, emission impact analysis, calculation of mass balance, and understanding of the process, including emission and prevention facilities.

As presented in Figure 6, University K established an IEM educational program management committee to continuously discuss improvements in the curriculum and manage students in the program. In addition, demand surveys of industries are periodically conducted to reflect the opinions of practitioners, and the curriculum is improved and reorganized through the resolutions of a regular steering committee meeting twice a year. The curriculum is divided into three courses based on the importance of each subject: fundamental, advanced, and applied. The compositional subjects cover the overall content and scope, including the basics related to Integrated Environmental Management and the media’s understanding of management and systems. In addition, the curriculum includes engineering undergraduate courses related to Integrated Environmental Management to expand opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in the program.

3.2.2. Industrial Cooperative Project

Close cooperation with industries is essential to improving the employment competitiveness of students who have completed the program and meet the requirements for education in the field. University K formed a consortium with major industries in the IEM field to provide students with education at industrial sites. The IEM Educational Program has established industry–academia partnerships with Integrated Environmental Management consulting industries, pollutant emission sources, governments, and numerous research institutes. Through these connections, opinions from various field experts are collected, which contribute to the development of the program and curriculum.

More than 15 industry–academia cooperation programs (seminars, field practices, and internships) are organized annually by the IEM Educational Program at University K to provide practical education. Seminars and field practices for each semester are planned for each main topic, as shown in Table 2, and the field practices are organized based on the established industry–academia partnership. The on-site workshop provides opportunities to learn from experts and acquire related legal instruction from national and public research institutes responsible for policy implementation, as well as information from the perspectives of IEM consulting companies. Students participating in the program acquire knowledge and skills related to the IEM system from a pool of experts with various perspectives.

3.2.3. Research

In the IEM Educational Program at University K, major topics related to the aforementioned educational curriculum were selected, and in-depth research was conducted separately. Students participating in the program conduct various subject-specific application studies, such as modeling the impact assessment of pollutants, process-specific BATs, and life cycle assessment (LCA)-based mass balance based on an understanding of the IEM system. Table 3 shows the research content based on key topics. Also, Table 4 shows major research projects in IEM program.

Students participating in the program undertake various educational projects, including in-depth research, as described above. In other words, this program aims to educate and train experts with a wide range of relevant theories and practical experience in IEM to meet the demands of the actual field.

4. Conclusions

This study examined and discussed the introduction and development of IEM policy in Korea, along with its operational system and established technologies. Following the introduction of IEM, the environmental management approach in Korea shifted towards pollutant source management. This has led to positive outcomes such as the establishment of a scientific basis for emission regulations, self-management by businesses, and gradual reinforcement of emission regulations through periodic permit reviews. In addition, the introduction of emission impact analysis and BAT criteria, the main technical components of IEM, provides a scientific basis for system operation and addressed the lack of expertise in managing businesses based on existing media-specific approaches.

The specialization of the personnel in charge is essential to increase the completeness and implementation of Integrated Environmental Management. Specialized education programs to train experts in the field of Integrated Environmental are led by the Korean government. To study the educational program model, University K, the best of five institutions selected by the Ministry of Environment, was chosen for analysis. As investigated in this study, the expertise needed in the current sustainability market must include diverse experiences and theoretical knowledge. In order to analyze the goals of the integrated environmental management system, well-constructed educational cases were selected and analyzed. Through regular surveys and tracking, engineering students who completed the above education program were confirmed to meet the qualifications for sustainability development challenges. The seminars, field practice, and research activities for specialized subjects in the program were carried out through close cooperation with various related institutions, and the quality of education was greatly improved. However, the period in which the system was implemented was relatively short, so related information is limited. Therefore, it is important to collect data from the beginning and accumulate feedback on any problems. Also, because policies are continuously expanding, research in new areas is also necessary. This educational model can provide guidelines for countries preparing to introduce Integrated Environmental Management in the future. In particular, the goals and planned composition proposed in this program are believed to be of great help in the design and strategic development of the curriculum for fostering expertise.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Y.S. and K.-H.H.; methodology, M.-S.K.; software, D.-S.P.; validation, K.-H.H., Y.S. and D.-S.P.; formal analysis, D.-S.P.; investigation, M.-S.K.; resources, C.-B.C.; data curation, D.-S.P.; writing—original draft preparation, D.-S.P.; writing—review and editing, K.-H.H.; visualization, D.-S.P.; supervision, K.-H.H.; project administration, Y.S.; funding acquisition, Y.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) Graduate School specializing in Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Project.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data is contained within the article.

Acknowledgments

We want to express our sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers and editors for their efforts in improving the paper.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

Park, J.H.; Kim, Y.S.; Lee, W.S. Significance and Development of the Integrated Environment Management System Implementation. J. Korean Soc. Water Environ. 2016, 32, 318–324. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Environmental Permitting Guidance: The Large Combustion Plants Directive. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-guidance-the-large-combustion-plants-directive (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Korean Society on Water Environment; National Institute of Environmental Research. Enhanced Integration Prepared Based Integrated Environmental Management and Environmental Management of Water; National Institute of Environmental Research: Incheon, Republic of Korea, 2013. [Google Scholar]
Han, D.H.; Yang, I.J.; Kang, P.G.; Kim, E.S. Policy Research Direction for Integrated Environment Management. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2019, 62, 49. [Google Scholar]
Shin, Y.S. Review on the Current Status of Integrated Multimedia Risk Assessment for Implementing Integrated Environmental Management in Korea. Environ. Law Policy 2009, 2, 145–166. [Google Scholar]
Seo, J.H.; Hwang, H.-J.; Khan, J.; Lee, S.; Kim, Y. The Present Status and Improvement of Air Quality Assessment Methodology for Integrated Environmental Permission System. J. Korean Soc. Atmos. Environ. 2021, 37, 523–535. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Kim, B.G. Development of the Integrated Environmental Management Policy. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2019, 62, 47. [Google Scholar]
Kim, E.; Kim, G.; Seo, K.; Khan, J.-B.; Seok, H.; Kim, Y.; Kang, P.-G. Introduction on Best Available Techniques Reference Document for the Display Manufacturing Industry in Korea. Kihm 2019, 7, 42–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Jeong, H.-Y. EU Envioronmental Policy and Their Impact on Korean Industries. J. Contemp. Eur. Stud. 2007, 24, 263–302. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Lee, H.J. The Expected Roles of Environmental Consulting Company for the Integrated Environment Permitting Scheme. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2019, 64, 48. [Google Scholar]
Seo, K.; Kim, E.; Kim, G.; Khan, J.; Hong, S.; Kang, P. Understanding and Improvement of the K-BREF (Korea BAT Reference Documents) for the Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturing Industry. J. Environ. Sci. Int. 2020, 29, 559–573. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Park, J.-H.; Seok, H.-J.; Kang, P.-G.; Ahn, H. Utilization of an Information System for the Efficient Implementation of the Integrated Environmental Permit System in South Korea. Sustainability 2023, 15, 16512. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Zhang, Y.; Chen, X. Empirical Analysis of University–Industry Collaboration in Postgraduate Education: A Case Study of Chinese Universities of Applied Sciences. Sustainability 2023, 15, 6252. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Song, J.H.; Jang, H.S. Problems and Discussions on the Korean Integrated Pollution Prevention and Management Law Cases in Air Pollution and Odor. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2019, 62, 49. [Google Scholar]
Framework Act on Environmental Policy. Available online: https://elaw.klri.re.kr/kor_service/lawView.do?hseq=60971&lang=ENG (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Park, J.H.; Shin, S.J.; Lee, D.G. Enhancing the Applicability and Improvement Direction of Integrated Environmental Permit System. J. Korean Soc. Water Environ. 2018, 34, 339–345. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Lee, J.H. Integrated Environmental Management and Environmental Impact Assessment. J. Korean Cadastre Inf. Assoc. 2018, 20, 89–103. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Clean Air Conservation Act. Available online: https://elaw.klri.re.kr/kor_service/lawView.do?hseq=57423&lang=ENG (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Water Environment Conservation Act. Available online: https://elaw.klri.re.kr/kor_service/lawView.do?hseq=54838&lang=ENG (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Beak, S.J.; Lee, S.W.; Yun, Y.B.; Kim, D.C. The BAT Reference Document for Enforcing the Integrated Environmental Management System. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2014, 57, 85. [Google Scholar]
Kim, D.Y.; Cho, Y.M.; Choi, M.A.; Jun, S.Y.; Hong, L.S. A Policy Implication of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Program in Gyeonggi-Do; Policy Research; Gyeonggi Research Institute: Suwon, Republic of Korea, 2014; pp. 1–53. [Google Scholar]
Lee, S.K. Conceptual Framework of Integrated Environmental Management. Korean Soc. Public Adm. 2004, 15, 313–332. [Google Scholar]
Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities. Available online: https://elaw.klri.re.kr/kor_service/lawView.do?hseq=55955&lang=ENG (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Kim, D. Research on Improvement of Permission System under Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities. Environ. Law Rev. 2020, 42, 57–87. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities. Available online: https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=55955&type=part&key=39 (accessed on 26 December 2023).
Kim, J.H.; Jeong, S.Y.; Na, M.H.; Choi, J.H.; Im, C.I. A Case Study and Review of Emission Impact Analysis for Establishing Integrated Environmental Management Permit Emission for Air Pollutants-Emitting Facilities. In Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Policy and Administration Society Conference, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, 23 June 2017; pp. 9–23. [Google Scholar]
Seok, H.-J.; Kahn, J.-B.; Kim, Y.-L.; Seo, J.-W.; Hong, S.-Y.; Kim, H.-J. Discharge Impact Analysis of Air Pollutants for Integrated Environmental Management. J. Environ. Anal. Health Toxicol. 2020, 23, 240–247. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Kim, J.H.; Ha, T.Y.; Na, M.H.; Lee, J.H. A Case Study on Integration Permitting of Power Generation Sector by Implementation of Integrated Environmental Management System. Korean Policy Sci. Rev. 2018, 27–30. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Guem, H.S. Introduction of an Integrated Approach into the Environmental Permitting and Management System. Proc. Korea Air Pollut. Res. Assoc. Conf. 2014, 57, 85. [Google Scholar]
National Institute of Environmental Research. Plan for Integrated Environmental Control Guidelines; Ministry of Environment in Korea: Sejong, Republic of Korea, 2020. [Google Scholar]
National Institute of Environmental Research. Best Available Techniques Reference of Korea—Plastic Product Manufacturing Industry; Ministry of Environment in Korea: Sejong, Republic of Korea, 2020. [Google Scholar]
European Union (EU). Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on Industrial Emissions; Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: Dresden, Germany, 2010. [Google Scholar]
National Institute of Environmental Research. Best Available Techniques Reference of Korea—Steel Manufacturing Industry; Ministry of Environment in Korea: Sejong, Republic of Korea, 2017. [Google Scholar]
Baek, J.; Cho, K. A Study on the Factors Influencing Regulatory Awareness: A Focus on the Sites Subject to the First Year of the Integrated Environmental Management System. Kpsr 2020, 24, 105–129. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
ISO 14040:2006; Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and Framework. ISO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2006.
ISO 14044:2006; Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Requirements and Guidelines. ISO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2006.
ISO/TS 14072:2014; Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Requirements and Guidelines for Organizational Life Cycle Assessment. ISO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2014.

Figure 1.
History of environmental management and related policies in Korea.

Figure 2.
Integrated environmental management in Korea.

Figure 3.
Process of establishing the permitted emission standards.

Figure 4.
Availity of standards for best available techniques.

Figure 5.
Overview of integrated environment management education program at University K.

Figure 6.
Curriculum organization and process by committee.

Table 1.
Survey questionnaire about the program.

Survey of Participants and Experts	Program Operation Performance
▪ Effectiveness of education	▪ Number of people who completed
▪ Subject suitability	▪ Number of subjects
▪ Industry–academia linkage	▪ Number of seminars
▪ Job satisfaction	▪ Number of internships
▪ Instructor competency	▪ Research activities

Table 2.
Integrated environment management in Europe and Korea.

	Europe	Korea
History	▪ 1996, European commission’s integrated pollution prevention and control directive ▪ 2011, Industrial emission directive	▪ 2015, Act on the Integrated Control of Pollutant-Discharging Facilities ▪ 2017, Integrated environment management system
Range	▪ 33 types of business	▪ 22 types of business
Integrated pollutants	▪ Determined according to the circumstances of each country.	▪ Air pollutants, volatile organic compounds, fugitive dust, noise, vibration, water pollutants, malodor, persistent organic pollutants, soil contaminants, wastes
Discharge facility management after permission	▪ Environmental inspections, Inspection of compliance with permission details ▪ Emissions monitoring	▪ After permission report ▪ Discharging facility monitoring ▪ Annual IEM reports
BAT management	▪ BREFs (BAT reference documents) ▪ Periodic update (3 years)	▪ K-BREFs ▪ Periodic update (5 years)

Table 3.
Main topics of industrial cooperative program.

Main Topic	Details
(1) Theoretical education on integrated environmental management system	– Education on laws related to integrated management of pollution facilities – Education on the relationship and differences between the integrated law and existing laws
(2) Basic education on integrated permit consulting duties	– Learning technical theories such as BATs (best available techniques) – Learning how to conduct various programs such as impact analysis of pollutants
(3) Practical education on integrated permits	– Education on how to write an integrated environmental management plan – Understanding the integrated permit process and precautions – Understanding how to use the integrated permit system
(4) Education on the ability to promote integrated permits	– Developing the ability to analyze environmental issues and propose solutions – Improving the ability to reach agreements through discussions

Table 4.
Research projects in IEM program.

Key Topic	Summary of Research
Improvement of material balance calculation methodology based on O-LCA	The aim is to prepare an O-LCA-based material balance calculation methodology by analyzing the most basic standards dealing with product LCA, ISO 14040:2006 [35], 14044:2006 [36] and KS I ISO/TS 14072:2014 [37] as well as Guidance on Organizational Life Cycle Assessment. At workplaces that implement the integrated environmental management system, it is possible to identify the causal relationships between inputs and outputs that were not identified when dealing with individual media and to identify abnormal flows in processes and facilities.
Improvement of pollutant reduction technology through customized convergence technology for emission sites	The purpose is to propose and present application plans for optimal utilization techniques, which are common points of the total amount of pollutants and the integrated environmental management system. This study facilitates establishment of a comprehensive evaluation model of quantitative and qualitative evaluation factors applied for integrated environmental management by pollutant emission type. In addition, the impact assessment related to the technical excellence, environmental management performance, economic feasibility, maturity of operational and management technologies, and sociality (local feasibility) of each evaluation factor is conducted.
Utilization and improvement of integrated environmental permit air and water pollution impact analysis program	This is a simulation program to investigate and analyze the impact of pollutant emissions from workplaces on the surrounding environment and is used to set customized permit emission standards. It considers existing pollution levels and additional pollution levels and involves conducting research on improvement measures by identifying existing problems.

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

[ad_2]