The Ministry of Environment announced its plan Tuesday to process all waste across the country that has been illegally dumped, neglected and exported within this year, three years earlier than initially scheduled.

As of the end of July the ministry had completed treatment of 45.7 percent, or 550,000 tons, of the illegal waste and plans to process the remaining 650,000 tons within the year, according to the ministry.

The illegal waste around the country is composed of 859,000 tons of waste that had been neglected, 310,000 tons of waste that had been disposed of illegally, and 34,000 tons of illegally exported waste, according to an inspection conducted by the ministry in January.

Of the 550,000 tons that has already been treated, 80.9 percent, or 445,000 tons, was processed by those who produced the waste. The rest was processed with the money the producers paid or with funds from municipal budgets.

On top of a 5.85 billion won budget, the ministry has secured 43.7 billion won from the extra budget to process illegal waste.

Gyeonggi Province processed the most illegal waste (419,000 tons), followed by North Gyeongsang Province (43,000 tons) and North Jeolla Province. (36,000 tons).

There are about 235 mountains of garbage across the country, according to government data.

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)