The government will impose fines on businesses that emit nitrogen oxide, an air pollutant blamed for causing fine dust and ozone. 

The Environment Ministry said it will issue on Friday an advance notice of a partial revision to rules on clean air conservation. The notice will be in place for 40 days. 

Nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that is emitted as a result of combustion or is contained in vehicle exhaust gas. The poisonous gas contributes to the formation of fine dust and ozone through a chemical reaction with sunlight. 
 
The revision is part of the government’s comprehensive measures to curb fine dust, which were announced last year. Currently, such fines are levied on a narrower scope of air pollution contributors, such as sulfur oxides. 

Businesses will be slapped with the highest level of fines if they present false reports. 
 
The ministry predicts that the tougher measure will slash nitrogen oxide emissions by 160-thousand tons annually and fine dust by 13-thousand tons, or about 13 percent of the nation’s fine dust reduction goal.