[CPEO-MEF] GLOBAL, CLOSURE: U.S. bases in South Korea

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Let's not get left cleaning up U.S. military bases' polluted mess

Hankyoreh (South Korea)
March 14, 2015	
 

The government has reportedly agreed to the return of two US military bases in Busan and Dongducheon without pollution cleanup efforts by the US. This kind of policy is certain to leave South Korea footing a huge bill to clean up oil and heavy metal contamination. It’s also far from the first time this has happened. Most recently, we were stuck with payment for the cleanup when Busan’s Camp Hialeah was returned in 2010. More troubling still is the fact that the US keeps ignoring established rules between the two countries on the handling of base contamination. If the rules are just for show, then they ought to be replaced with something binding.

The rules for handling contamination when military base land is returned are straightforward: the party that caused contamination pays for its removal. It’s a rule that should be applied here. It’s been an effective international practice behind rational use and distribution systems for environmental resources. Many have recently been saying the cleanup costs should also extend to pollution prevention, environment restoration, relief for victims, and the costs of pollution avoidance. This principle - that the party responsible for pollution has to clean it up when providing or returning a base - is also stipulated in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between South Korea and the US.


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For the entire article, see
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/682232.html

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650-961-8918 or 650-969-1545
Fax: 650-961-8918
LSiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org




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