More Volunteers Needed for Oil Spill Disaster

Local residents in Taean, who have suffered from Korea’s worst-ever oil spill off the west coast, still need our help.

About 13,000 police, villagers, and volunteers struggled Tuesday to clean up the effects of the oil spill. It has been five days since the disaster occurred; however, the number of volunteers is too few as of now to contain all of the oil damage spreading across the area’s beaches and rocks.

A person who wants to join the operation can go to www.taean.go.kr or call the disaster briefing room at 041-670-2643-2653 for volunteer information.

Volunteers are needed to clean up the oil, provide food, and assist in handling oil clean-up supplies.

Gear for working, such as raincoats, boots, rubber gloves, masks, and cotton work gloves should be prepared by volunteers themselves due to the current lack of supplies.

People who cannot participate in the operation as volunteers can donate or send goods to the Chungnam provincial joint donation office. Supplies urgently needed include masks, boots, oil-resistant clothing, and absorption materials. Winter clothes for soldiers and volunteers are also running short.

Meanwhile, the Daejeon Federation of Environmental Movement Workers is set to join the operation with 1,000 rescue volunteers to clean up oil spill damage on a sand hill at Shinduri Wonbuk and the Cheollipo Arboretum on December 15.

If a person pays 10,000 won, the federation will provide shuttle service and tell how to clean up the oil spillovers.

doyoce@donga.com