Water Leak from Nanji-Do Probably Contaminated Han River

The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea exposed the water pollution by Seoul city that did not construct the waterproof wall around the reclaimed land to block the leakage of the wastes from contaminating the subterranean water and the Han River.

BAI presented an inspection report to Rep. Lee Jae-Chang of GNP that Seoul city did not construct a waterproof wall around some part of the reclaimed land, and concluded that the wastes over 10 years were decomposed, without any thorough investigation on the kinds of wastes and the contaminated materials in the leaked water.

BAI indicated that the ignorance might nullify the efficiency of the waterproof wall that had cost 50 billion won to construct and issued warnings to the related officials.

BAI reported that the measurement of the contaminated materials revealed the zinc (3.39 mg/l), manganese (2.649 mg/l), and iron (57 mg) subterranean waters three times over the permitted pollution of the living waters and indicated the chemical oxygen demand (COD. 24.8 mg/l) also exceeded 4 times over the standard limit.

Seoul city, however, explained that the leaked water could have been detected partly in the middle of the construction but, after the completion of the waterproof wall by the end of September and the leaked water treatment facility operated normal, the leak of the contaminated materials will be perfectly prevented.

Kim Hak-Rae, the deputy mayor of Seoul city, said that the construction of the waterproof wall had been delayed because of the move of the nearby settlements. By October when the treatment facility is to be completed, everything will go well.``

Seoul city also decided to establish a measure for the contaminated materials that had been leaked before the completion of the wall.

Song In-Soo issong@donga.com