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Samsung accused of lying over gas leak containment claims

Korean Police have today accused Samsung of lying over their claim that a fatal gas leak at one of their manufacture's semiconductor plants was contained. At the time, Samsung told the press that the possibility that the gas had leaked out was "zero", however new evidence puts that claim in the spotlight. 

The evidence suggests that up to 10 litres of hydrofluoric acid, "a colorless acute poison that can damage the lungs and bones, and even affect the nervous system", leaked out of the plant causing one death and the injury of four others.  

"Hydrofluoric acid has been leaked outside of the chip plant after an analysis of CCTV footage taken inside the Central Chemical Supply System of the chip plant," Song Byung-sun of the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency who is leading the investigation into Samsung's misconduct said. 

The Korean Police are investigating whether Samsung broke the law, however, a clause exists in the Clean Air Conservation Act that allows the "discharging [of] contaminated material without using discharge facilities or other facilities in emergency situations." 

A special probe has been launched by the Ministry of Environment to discover if Samsung wilfully misrepresented the situation to the press and outside world. "The investigation will focus on whether Samsung properly managed and monitored chemical substances", an official said. A local environment group reported that the concentration of hydrofluoric acid was higher than usual levels up to 2km from the plant. The Korean Police said they are "not ruling out the possibility that some of the tens of thousands of residents living inside a radius of 2 kilometers of the Hwaseong plant have been partially affected by the gas."

Source: Yonhap News Agency

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