MOE`s Plan to Build Landfills in National Park Sparks Controversy

The Ministry of Environment recently decided to build a landfill on four islands located inside Dadohae Maritime National Park in south province of Cholla as requested by the local government and Yeosu city, a move soon followed by controversy.

MOE outlined on Dec. 26 a plan to build three 2,100m2-scale landfills on Bogil, Soan and Chungsan Island in Wando-gun and a 3,000m2-scale one on Guemo Island in Yeosu city next year.

The decision came after Cholla-do and Yeosu city governments proposed a plan to construct landfills in July and the ministry`s park management committee approved the plan in the end of October. The plan will soon be officially notified.

For the construction of four landfills, MOE will finance 1.82 billion won and 1.5 billion won of government budget to the provincial and municipal government respectively. Earlier in 1993, the government approved construction of a 9,900m2-scale landfill in Heuksan Island within the maritime national park.

The four landfills will be each equipped with a small-sized incinerator that burns out 150kg garbage an hour. They will mainly dispose of ashes made from burning out of garbage, with untreatable garbage accounting for some 20%.

The local government in Wando-gun and residents there welcomed the plan, which they expect will accommodate growing amounts of household trash and garbage dropped by tourists.

˝Residents already agreed to the idea after seeing the established landfills in nearby Geumil and Nohwa Island,˝ said Huh Jae-chul, an official at the environmental protection department of Wando-gun government office. ˝Without new landfills, people will find it hard to disposing of all the garbage.˝

Garbage generated within those islands have so far been transferred to the inland, but the costs are too hefty and sometimes a pile of garbage is left on beach or in residential areas when weather conditions are bad, Huh also explained.

˝It could end up damaging instead of preserving the beauty in the national park if the government continue to build landfills in the park citing an reason or another,˝ said Oh Sung-gyu, an official at the Coalition for Environmental Justice. ˝Local governments must have an ability to maintain and operate landfills in a safe and environment-friendly way.˝

Jin Lee leej@donga.com