(1) Reasons for Proposal

As the Act on the Management of Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediments (Act No. 16699; December 3, 2019 promulgated; December 4, 2020 enacted) shall be enacted so as to enhance the accountability of polluters while transferring the provisions under the existing Marine Environment Management Act and removing loopholes in the previous management in an effort to manage the marine debris and contaminated marine sediment in a comprehensive and systematic manner, this amendment aims to prescribe matters necessary for the enforcement of the Act.

(2) Major Provisions

1) Stipulate details to be included in the enforcement plan for marine debris and contaminated marine sediment (Article 3)

Stipulate provisions to ensure that the enforcement plan for each year, which needs to be established by the sea area management authority under the Master Plan for the Management of Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediment formulated by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, includes the statuses such as the distribution status and processing performance of marine debris and contaminated marine sediment and the collection, processing ships, equipment, facilities, etc. as well as the matters pertaining to the management project.

2) Stipulate the types of debris to be reclaimed and isolated and the documents to be submitted for isolation permit applications (Articles 5 and 6)

Set underwater dredged sediment, shell waste, and substances determined and notified by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries as reclaimable or isolatable debris, and stipulate provisions for persons who intend to obtain “isolation” permits to submit the permit application with an isolation processing plan and an agreement on the use of sea area or an impact evaluation on the use of sea area to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries.

3) Stipulate the requirements of carbon dioxide streams for sub-seabed sequestration (Article 7)

Stipulate the requirements of carbon dioxide streams for sub-seabed sequestration as the “consist overwhelmingly of carbon dioxide,” and the “no wastes or other matter are added for the purpose of disposing” in the same manner as the London Convention, an international agreement on ocean dumping.

4) Stipulate the location of the marine debris and contaminated marine sediment management center and the tasks to be performed thereby (Article 13)

Stipulate provisions to place the “Marine Debris and Contaminated Marine Sediment Management Center” under the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation to perform tasks such as investigation and research, international cooperation, information collection and integrated management, and public relations in connection with marine debris and contaminated marine sediment.

5) Transfer provisions from the current Act (Articles 4, 10, 11, etc.)

Transfer provisions pertaining to the management of marine debris and contaminated marine sediment from the Marine Environment Management Act.