Gyeonggi Province Conducts Joint Public-Private Survey on Groundwater Contamination Around U.S. Military Bases with Environmental NGOs

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 3rd that it will conduct a joint public-private contamination survey over two days on the 6th and 7th with Uijeongbu City and environmental NGOs on 13 groundwater wells around two U.S. military bases located in Uijeongbu City.

This is a provincial-level measure to secure residents' safety and alleviate concerns in response to media reports about carcinogenic substances being detected in groundwater at U.S. military bases in Korea.

In fact, the relevant media outlets cited a report released by the U.S. Department of Defense in March 2018, reporting that perfluorinated compounds (PFOA, PFSO) exceeding the standard (70ppt) by up to 15 times were detected in groundwater at five U.S. military bases in Korea. Of these, the U.S. military bases located in Gyeonggi Province are Camp Red Cloud and Camp Stanley, both located in Uijeongbu.

The survey targets include 10 wells within 100 meters of the bases that have been confirmed to be used for household water or drinking water among 18 wells, and 3 wells located beyond 100 meters, totaling 13 wells.
In particular, to ensure objectivity and transparency, the survey will be conducted jointly with two environmental NGOs operating in the region, including the Uijeongbu Sustainable Development Council and the Uiyang-dong chapter of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.

The province will collect samples from the relevant wells and request the Gyeonggi Province Institute of Health and Environment to conduct analysis and examine the concentration of perfluorinated compounds. Depending on the survey results, the province plans to impose usage restrictions and purification measures on wells that exceed drinking water quality monitoring standards.
Additionally, the province plans to conduct periodic environmental pollution monitoring activities in areas surrounding U.S. military bases for the safety of local residents.

A provincial official stated, "As realizing a safe Gyeonggi Province is a campaign promise of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the 7th popular election, we will make efforts to alleviate residents' concerns and create a safe environment through thorough and precise surveys."

Meanwhile, perfluorinated compounds are substances primarily used in firefighting agents and coatings. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in particular, is classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).