Geuinmo, Geochang County Governor, Submits Petition Opposing Hwanggang Regional Water Intake Facility Installation Project

Lack of Consent and Insufficient Basis for Securing Water Sources at Gyeongnam Provincial Council

County Governor Gu In-mo is listening to the basic project plan from Hwanggang Korea Water Resources Corporation.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Gu In-mo, the mayor of Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam, visited the site of the planned construction of the Hwanggang Wide-Area Water Intake Facility located in Jeokjung-myeon, Hapcheon-gun on the 25th. During the legislative activities of the Economic and Environmental Committee of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, he conveyed Geochang-gun's opposition to the installation of the Hwanggang Wide-Area Water Intake Facility project by the Ministry of Environment.

The on-site legislative activity was held to prepare countermeasures at the provincial council level following the preliminary feasibility approval of the "Nakdong River Basin Safe Drinking Water Supply System Establishment Project."

At the site of the planned Hwanggang Wide-Area Water Intake Facility, Mayor Gu In-mo, Kim Yoon-cheol, mayor of Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, Shin Jae-hwa, chairman of the Industry and Construction Committee of the Geochang County Council, and council members of Hapcheon-gun attended and strongly requested the Economic and Environmental Committee of the Provincial Council to halt the Ministry of Environment's project, which is being pushed forward without the consent of the residents.

The "Nakdong River Basin Safe Drinking Water Supply System Establishment Project" promoted by the Ministry of Environment is a project to intake 450,000 tons per day of Hapcheon Hwanggang return water and 450,000 tons per day of Changnyeong riverbank filtered water to supply to eastern Gyeongnam and Busan.

Before the on-site explanation, a project briefing session was held at the Hapcheon Changnyeongbo Observatory, attended by about 40 people including provincial council members, officials from the Provincial Climate, Environment and Forestry Bureau, and local government officials, where they listened to the basic project plan from the Korea Water Resources Corporation.

During the Q&A session, provincial council members and council members from Hapcheon and Changnyeong counties pointed out the lack of communication and consent with local residents during the project promotion process and the insufficient basis for securing water sources for intake.

Geochang-gun is strongly concerned about the strengthening of upstream area regulations for water source management and the decrease in agricultural productivity, arguing that Hapcheon Dam, which supplies 100% of Geochang's water, should be included in the affected area as it is used as the Hwanggang water intake source.

Additionally, Geochang-gun is demanding participation of its officials in the Ministry of Environment's commissioned project.

At the site, Mayor Gu personally delivered a letter of recommendation expressing Geochang-gun's position on the construction of the Hwanggang Wide-Area Water Intake Facility to Kang Yong-beom, vice chairman of the Gyeongsang Provincial Council.

Mayor Gu said, "As a direct stakeholder located in the upstream area of Hapcheon Dam, Geochang-gun opposes the promotion of the Hwanggang Wide-Area Water Intake Facility installation project without the consent of the residents. We hope the Provincial Council will strongly support this by considering the local public opinion."