3rd report on environmental surveys at Camp Carroll found

A third report suggesting that “dioxin was discovered in soil within the U.S. military base Camp Carroll” has been discovered, and the Korean government unsuccessfully requested the U.S. military to submit the report or disclose its contents.

The Environment Ministry said Friday that the 8th U.S. Army conducted environmental surveys within Camp Carroll by hiring last year a professional agency in the township of Waegwan in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province.

Afterwards, the first draft of “2010 Camp Carroll survey report” was completed on the analysis of the density of various pollutants in underground water and soil, including dioxin.

According to the report, an analysis of soil samples within the camp last year detected dioxin at one site. The U.S. military has yet to disclose details, however, including the exact location of dioxin detection, as well as the contamination levels of carcinogens such as trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, insecticide and heavy metals.

Camp Carroll, a U.S. military unit in charge of supply, storage and repair, had been preserving more than 40 kinds of harmful substances and waste, including defoliant, insecticide and industrial chemicals on base.

The Environment Ministry said that for this reason, the U.S. military conducted its own annual surveys through outside agencies every several years to ensure the health of U.S. servicemen.

After confirming the existence of reports, the ministry demanded that U.S. forces submit the report in question or disclose its details.

A Korean government source said, “The U.S. military concealed the existence of this report from our government and only recently informed us of this fact,” adding, “The report is significant because it is a document on the results of the environmental survey conducted most recently within Camp Carroll.”

The U.S. military said, however, “The report at present is only a draft and the final version will come out in August thus we cannot hand it over to Korea in advance,” in rejecting disclosure.

U.S. forces are reportedly consulting with Washington whether to make the report public. Seoul will demand the disclosure of the report in early August, when it is finalized.

zozo@donga.com