U.S. base oil spill still polluting ground water

Posted on : 2006-11-28 15:07 KST Modified on : 2006-11-28 15:07 KST
Dangerous levels of benzene, other substances detected

Oil that in 2001 leaked from underground oil tanks at Yongsan Garrison, a U.S. military base in Seoul, is still polluting nearby underground water.

Seoul Metropolitan Council Member Lee Su-jeong of the opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) said on November 27 that at six places near Noksapyeong subway station, 14.8 to 1,988 times the standard amount of benzene ( 0.015 ppm) was detected.

The site containing 1,988 times standard amount of benzene, a cancer-causing substance, is where underground water flows toward the Han River water system.

According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment (SIHE) on the request of Council Member Lee, other poisonous substances such as toluene and xylene exceeded the standard amount in six locations. In the area surrounding the leak, the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), an index of judging pollution caused by kerosene or gasoline, were also found to be higher than the standard amounts.

Song Ung-gi, a Seoul government official, said that the capital has steadily dredged up the oil spilled into the ground, but that it would take between five and 10 years to completely remove the pollutants.

Council Member Lee, however, raised the necessity to conduct an accurate investigation of environmental contamination related to the U.S. base, saying that even though the Seoul goverment continues to pump spilled oil up in the area, the level of underground contamination has remained so high.

The United States Forces Korea (USFK) announced in 2004 that there were eight leakages of oil from tanks located at the Yongsan Garrison between 1999 and 2004. The USFK then invited Seoul officials, the Ministry of Environment, and civic organizations and had them confirm revision that it had removed all of the underground oil tanks.

Lee Hyeong-su of the Solidarity for Peace and Reconciliation of Korea urged the government to investigate pollution by the U.S. base, saying that the USFK has not provided detailed data on the pollutants, nor ways to remove them.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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