[CPEO-MEF] GLOBAL: "South Korean gov’t on the hook for $870 million to clean up US base contamination"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

South Korean gov’t on the hook for $870 million to clean up US base contamination 
As US bases are returned to South Korea, they leave behind a legacy of mishandled chemicals and waste 

By Lim Ji-sun, Im In-tack, Cho Il-jun, and Choi Hyun-june
The Hankyoreh (So. Korea)
July12,2017 


Old, rusted oil tanks containing gasoline, diesel fuel, and JP-8 jet fuel lie buried throughout the 2.8 million square meters of the US military base in Seoul’s Yongsan district. Tiny cracks are discovered only after they become large holes. In its incident report, US Forces Korea writes, “Ground was saturated with oil at time of discovery. Worn fuel pipe appears to be cause, but not clear when or where leak started. Discharged fuel permeated waterway and flowed into Han River.”

Seoul residents have no idea when an accident has occurred. Recently, Green Korea United (GKU) and other South Korean civic groups submitted an information disclosure request to the US government for details on oil leakage incidents at Yongsan Garrison. The results showed 84 USFK-recorded incidents since 1990. The South Korean Ministry of Environment was notified in just five of the cases. Over those years, Seoul residents have only become aware of the incidents when oil leaking outside the base has been discovered by chance.


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For the entire article, see
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/802520.html

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650/961-8918 
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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