As the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan is imminent, fishermen’s anxiety grows, and Gangneung, Gangwon-do, has another concern.
Residents and fishermen who are concerned about marine메이저놀이터 pollution are strongly protesting against the construction of a waste landfill near the beach.
Reporter Song Se-hyeok covered the story.
[Reporter]
About 100 fishing boats protest in the waters of Jumunjin Port in Gangneung.
About 1,500 residents gathered at the fish farm and even held a hair-shaving ceremony.
It is to oppose the construction of a waste landfill in Hyangho-ri, which is about 4 km away from Jumunjin Port.
The landfill site is a facility that buries industrial waste, including highly hazardous designated waste, in an area larger than 22 soccer fields for 25 years.
Expected leachate is up to 300 tons per day.
Residents claim that if leachate containing carcinogens such as benzene flows into the river, it will pollute the sea.
[Jeong Ho-seon / Co-Chairman of Jumunjin Waste Landfill Countermeasures Committee: First of all, no one will come to the beach, and tourists will reject things like fish from the sea. If that happens, I think the commercial districts of Juminjin will die.]
Regarding this, the company refutes that it is different from the facts and exaggerated.
In the case of leachate, it is discharged below the standard for clean areas through advanced treatment facilities including biological treatment facilities.
In addition, it is claimed that the number of tourists around the existing landfill facilities in Yeosu and Gyeongju has not changed much, rather helping to attract companies.
[Kim Myung-jin / Taeyoung Dongbu Environment CEO: We want to contribute to attracting industrial complexes and companies by securing a final disposal facility that can efficiently and environmentally safely treat waste generated from industries in the surrounding area, including Gangneung-si.
] After the draft of the environmental impact assessment in August is over, we plan to submit the original draft and receive business approval from the Ministry of Environment, aiming to start operation in 2026.
However, not only residents but also Gangneung City are expressing their opposition, so considerable pain is expected in the process of promoting the project.