Fourth Call for Candidates for Resource Circulation Park Sites to Secure Alternative Landfills in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] Gyeonggi Province announced on Monday that it will conduct the "Fourth Call for Candidates for Resource Circulation Park Sites" for 150 days from May 13 to October 10, based on discussions with the Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, and Incheon City in the "Four-Party Consultative Body on Seoul Metropolitan Area Landfill Policy (Gyeonggi Province, Ministry of Environment, Seoul, and Incheon)."

The four-party consultative body decided to significantly lower the application threshold for this fourth call after the third call for candidates (March 28 – June 25, 2024) ended without any applications from basic local governments.

Accordingly, facility size and other application conditions were reexamined from scratch, and on May 13, the "Seoul Metropolitan Coastal Landfill Coordination Committee" reviewed and confirmed the fourth call plan in writing. The Seoul Metropolitan Coastal Landfill Coordination Committee is chaired by the Vice Minister of Environment and includes members from Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Environment, Seoul, and Incheon, which consult and decide on matters regarding the construction and operation of Seoul Metropolitan Area landfills and cooperation from the three cities and provinces.

To increase the likelihood of applications, the four-party consultative body designed detailed conditions by significantly lowering application requirements and expanding the application eligibility compared to previous calls.

First, the minimum scale requirements for alternative landfill applications were significantly reduced, and applicants' options were expanded. The minimum area standard, based on 30 years of operation and reflecting waste reduction targets by city and province, was drastically reduced from 900,000㎡ to 500,000㎡ (landfill facilities including infrastructure of 400,000㎡, and ancillary facilities of 100,000㎡).

In addition to the area standard, sites with a capacity of 6.15 million㎥ or more (based on actual landfill capacity separate from infrastructure) can also apply, allowing sites with slightly insufficient area but adequate topographical conditions to participate in this fourth call.

Second, application eligibility was expanded. In the third call, only heads of basic local governments could apply, but in this fourth call, private entities (individuals, corporations, organizations, village communities, etc.) can also apply. However, private applicants must submit consent letters for sale from 80% or more of landowners of the application site to prevent infringement on third-party property rights. If the application site is government or publicly owned land, the submission of consent letters can be omitted.

The requirement from the third call to obtain prior consent from 50% or more of residents in surrounding areas was also removed. Additionally, to ensure smooth project implementation, the location selection procedure was specified by obtaining the consent of the competent local government head before deciding and announcing the facility location after the fourth call ends.

Third, ancillary facilities required for landfill operations will be determined through post-consultation. Through the third call, the types and sizes of ancillary facilities were predetermined and presented as mandatory requirements, but in this fourth call, the four-party consultative body can decide detailed matters through consultation with the relevant local government head after the call ends, considering local conditions of the application areas.

To increase the likelihood of applications, the four-party consultative body plans to make full efforts in persuading and supporting the applicants' local government head and surrounding residents after the fourth call ends, along with easing application conditions.

Meanwhile, the special support fund provided to the basic local government in charge of the resource circulation park candidate site will be determined based on consultation results with the local government head regarding the types and sizes of ancillary facilities, with 300 billion won as the baseline.

The four-party consultative body plans to significantly increase the special support fund if the site has a large scale and enables various ancillary facilities such as preprocessing facilities and energy conversion facilities to better ensure stable waste management in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the long term.

In addition to the special support fund, approximately 130 billion won in resident convenience facilities and approximately 10 billion won annually in resident support funds are expected under the "Act on Promotion of Installation of Waste Treatment Facilities and Support for Surrounding Areas." For resident convenience facilities, the amount is within 20% of waste treatment facility installation costs, and for resident support funds, within 20% of waste incineration fees, but these can vary depending on facility types, scale, and actual waste inflow volume. During the local government head consultation process, joint support measures from related ministries to solve regional pending issues will also be reviewed.

After this fourth call ends, the four-party consultative body will jointly verify the suitability of application sites and proceed with consultations with the competent local government head.

Based on selected candidate areas resulting from consultation, a location selection committee will be organized, and the location selection procedure will proceed in accordance with the "Act on Promotion of Installation of Waste Treatment Facilities and Support for Surrounding Areas." The final location will be decided and announced after obtaining the consent of the competent local government head.

This fourth call will be conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Landfill Management Corporation under the Ministry of Environment, which has been entrusted with the task by the four-party consultative body. Detailed application conditions can also be confirmed through the call announcement on the Seoul Metropolitan Landfill Management Corporation's website (slc.or.kr).

The four-party consultative body expects that multiple local governments and private entities will show interest and apply, as the fourth call reflects the determination to find alternative landfill sites for the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and the application conditions have been significantly eased.