Pyeongtaek City Holds Third 2020 Military-Local-Council Cooperation Task Force Meeting

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] In connection with the Ministry of Defense's announcement of the 'Basic Plan (Draft) on Noise Prevention and Noise Damage Compensation for Noise Mitigation Areas,' the 'Local Autonomous Entities Council for Military Noise Damage Compensation and Resident Support' (Chairman Jung Jang-seon, Mayor of Pyeongtaek City, hereinafter 'Military-Local-Council'), comprised of 16 local autonomous entities nationwide, has begun efforts to gather local government opinions and seek joint countermeasures.

On the 18th, Pyeongtaek City held a 'Military-Local-Council Task Force Meeting' with approximately 20 participants including staff members from local government departments affiliated with the Military-Local-Council at the international conference room of Pungseong International Exchange Center. The meeting was held with minimal attendance to comply with quarantine guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The meeting was convened to discuss the 'Basic Plan (Draft) on Noise Prevention and Noise Damage Compensation for Noise Mitigation Areas' prepared by the Ministry of Defense ahead of full-scale noise damage compensation in 2022, as well as to deliberate strategic countermeasures including gathering local government opinions and substantive damage compensation measures for residents.

This basic plan, based on Article 7 of the abbreviated 'Military Noise Compensation Act,' is a foundational plan that presents basic directions and goals for military noise policy over the next five years. Its major contents include ▲Noise survey status (designation of noise mitigation areas, installation of automatic noise measurement networks) ▲Noise reduction and noise source management measures ▲Establishment of private-public-military collaboration systems.

In the meeting held on this day, the following were presented: ▲Installation of a noise monitoring center under the Ministry of Defense ▲'Early establishment of a military noise portal' allowing residents to directly verify military noise-related information ▲Implementation of various support projects within noise mitigation areas at the government and metropolitan level. Pyeongtaek City, as the chair of the Military-Local-Council, agreed to submit these opinions to the Ministry of Defense on behalf of the council.

Meanwhile, Pyeongtaek City plans to submit opinions to the Ministry of Defense on the 20th through various opinion gathering procedures including consultation with relevant departments and 23 eup-myeon-dong divisions and posting on the city's website regarding the Ministry of Defense's 'Noise Mitigation Basic Plan (Draft)'.

An official from Pyeongtaek City stated, "As compensation-related work for military noise damage is to be carried out for the first time in 2022, we will prepare to ensure smooth project implementation through close consultation with central government agencies including the Ministry of Defense and local autonomous entities affiliated with the Military-Local-Council."