Gochang-gun Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Facility Installation Project Resolved Through Public Deliberation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil] Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, and the Asan-myeon Countermeasure Committee Against Incinerator Installation (hereinafter referred to as the Countermeasure Committee) signed the final agreement of the Gochang-gun Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Facility Public Deliberation Council (abbreviated as the Incineration Facility Public Deliberation Council), which has been promoted since October last year.

According to Gochang-gun on the 1st, a briefing on the results of the public deliberation on the municipal solid waste incineration facility and a delivery ceremony of the agreement were held in the morning with the participation of the Public Deliberation Council members, the county governor, the chairman of the county council, and residents.

Accordingly, the conflict over the installation of the incineration facility, which lasted for more than a year, was concluded through dialogue and compromise for coexistence, leaving a model precedent as the first public deliberation in a county-level local government nationwide.

Earlier, Gochang-gun was promoting the construction of a municipal solid waste incineration facility in early last year, but on January 18 of the same year, residents near the incineration facility raised complaints opposing the installation of the incinerator.

Residents near the incineration facility formed the Countermeasure Committee and held relay protests in front of the county office, in the Asan-myeon area, and at the entrance of the business site, as well as five opposition rallies.

When the conflict reached its peak in July last year, Gochang-gun and the Countermeasure Committee agreed to resolve the incineration facility installation project through public deliberation.

After education on public deliberation, a 'Public Deliberation Preparation Working Council' was formed, including working-level staff from both sides and conflict experts, and preliminary preparations such as topic selection and suspension of construction during the public deliberation period were carried out.

The 'Gochang-gun Incineration Facility Public Deliberation Council,' officially launched on October 2 last year, continued until November 15. The council consisted of 10 members: three conflict experts, representatives of county residents, two representatives each from the Asan area residents and surrounding area residents, and the head of the Environmental Facilities Office delegated by the Gochang-gun governor.

The construction of the incineration facility was completely suspended simultaneously with the launch of the Public Deliberation Council to ensure stable progress of the public deliberation meetings.

The council held eight meetings, including relay meetings lasting up to seven hours, and derived a tentative agreement. After supplementary revisions, the final agreement was created, and a survey was conducted to collect residents' opinions on the agreement.

The main contents of the public deliberation agreement include ▲ mutual efforts for community restoration ▲ operation of the incineration facility for a durable period of 15 years ▲ supplementation of environmental pollution prevention facilities and conducting environmental impact surveys (reflecting residents' concerns about environment and health) ▲ real-time disclosure of emission gas TMS (remote monitoring system) data ▲ creation of conditions for a sustainable society with residents' participation, such as waste reduction policies.

This final agreement achieved a consensus through public deliberation on the incineration facility installation project, which had been controversial due to opposition from many Asan-myeon residents, and is expected to be recorded as a model case of deliberative democracy.

Going forward, plans are in place to create conditions for an advanced sustainable society with residents' participation, including waste reduction policies.

To this end, Gochang-gun will enact and implement the 'Gochang-gun Resource Circulation Basic Ordinance,' organize and operate the 'Gochang-gun Resource Circulation Policy Implementation Council' to comprehensively review and advance municipal solid waste management policies, and establish and promote management policies such as expanding resource circulation practice villages.

A Gochang-gun official said, “We plan to manage the incineration facility transparently and responsibly through strict quality control and construction so that residents do not worry,” and added, “We hope this will be an opportunity to quickly heal the conflicts and criticisms among residents and unite them as one.”