Metropolitan Area Alternative Landfill Site Bidding Ultimately Fails... Ministry of Environment to Discuss Future Re-bidding Possibility

Sudokwon Landfill. (File photo) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The public contest for an alternative landfill site in the Seoul metropolitan area has ultimately failed. The Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, Incheon City, and Gyeonggi Province have agreed to discuss follow-up measures, including whether to hold a re-contest.

On the 14th, the Ministry of Environment announced that no local governments applied during the 90-day public contest period for candidate sites for the alternative landfill in the metropolitan area, which started on January 14 of this year and ended on this day.

This contest was conducted in accordance with the four-party agreement signed on June 28, 2015, by the Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, Incheon City, and Gyeonggi Province. At that time, it was decided to use the remaining landfill site Section 3-1 (1.03 million square meters) and for the three municipalities to form and operate a task force for securing an alternative landfill site to establish stable waste disposal measures, including the creation of the alternative landfill.

With the failure of the alternative landfill site contest, the Ministry of Environment, Seoul City, Incheon City, and Gyeonggi Province plan to hold a meeting of the task force for securing an alternative landfill site on the afternoon of the 15th to discuss follow-up measures for the stable disposal of waste generated in the metropolitan area, including whether to conduct a re-contest and alternative options for securing the landfill site.