Residents of disaster zone demand compensation

Posted on : 2012-10-09 15:28 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Factory leaked dangerous acid, endangering residents’ health and livelihoods as farmers
 near a toxic chemical leak from a factory
near a toxic chemical leak from a factory

By Koo Dae-sun and Kim Il-woo, Daegu correspondents

The government belatedly declared a special disaster zone on Oct. 9 in the scene of a hydrofluoric acid leak last month in Gumi, North Gyeongsang province. The declaration comes 11 days after the Sept. 27 accident at a Hube Global factory in the 4th Gumi National Industrial Complex. Residents expressed displeasure at the delay and demanded swift action and compensation.

Special disaster zones are declared by the president upon review by the Central Safety Measures Committee in cases where an accident, as opposed to a natural disaster, is seen as being beyond the capabilities of a local government to clear up. National government support is available for anywhere from 50% to 80% of the local government’s cleanup costs.

Previously, special disaster zones were declared after the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995, wildfires on the East Sea coast in 2000, a major fire on the Daegu subway in 2003, wildfires in Yangyang County, Gangwon, in 2005, and a major oil spill that reached the coast of Taean in 2007.

Residents said the decision was better late than never, but they also demanded that compensation be given without delay.

Park Myeong-seok, 49, head of Bongsan Village resident countermeasures committee, said residents needed to be compensated by the end of the year at the latest, since they purchased their pesticides, fertilizer, and agro-materials on credit.

“If it comes after the end of this year, they’ll end up in debt and have to pay back interest on the money they borrowed,” he explained.

Park Su-ho, 50, is chief of Imcheon Village, located in the township of Sandong about one kilometer from the scene of the leak. He said his village, which is situated next to Bongsan, should also be included in the special disaster zone.

Another matter for the government to address is health problems in the afflicted areas. The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), which triggered an outcry in the early wake of the accident when it hastily released half-baked investigation results, conducted an air contamination check for ten sites on Oct. 8 using precision gauges.

Public health groups like the Daegu/North Gyeongsang province branch of the Association for Physicians for Humanism cautioned that hydrofluoric acid is acutely toxic - indeed, it is used as an ingredient in nerve gas - and could lead to severe health problems. The groups also demanded that plans be made for systematic, regular health checks.

Meanwhile, Gumi Police Station is investigating possible violations in the construction of Hube Global’s factory.

In 2008, the company set up its factory on a 4,000 square meter plot of land purchased from an active semiconductor company.

The Gumi branch of Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice questioned how a chemical manufacturer was able to take up residence in the 4th Complex, where the only other tenants are high-tech businesses.

Among the public, there are growing calls for the central and local governments to take responsibility.

The Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Studies called for disciplinary action against the Minister of Environment and the chief of the NIER, which the organization said endangered residents with its lax management of a workplace handling dangerous chemicals.

Residents, along with civic and environmental groups like the Gumi Nakdong River Community, are currently preparing lawsuits seeking compensation from the government and Hube Global.

During an audit of the Ministry of Public Administration and Safety by the National Assembly Public Administration and Safety Committee, minister Maeng Hyung-kyu said it was “unfortunate that the early response was so chaotic and poorly handled. We plan to revise our manuals and set up response measures so that no incidents of this kind happen again”.

 

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