Soil Contamination at Incheon Bupyeong Innovation Center Site... Bupyeong-gu Launches Detailed Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon Bupyeong-gu is conducting a detailed investigation after soil contamination was detected at the site of the Innovation Center, a core project of urban regeneration.

On the 22nd, according to Bupyeong-gu, soil contamination levels were investigated at 11 locations within the Bupyeong-dong Innovation Center project site, and petroleum-based total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were detected at one location at 3,261 mg/kg, exceeding the standard level of 500 mg/kg.

Last month, during excavation work, oil-mixed soil was discovered in some sections, prompting a soil contamination survey targeting 22 standard substances.

Based on these results, the district must conduct a detailed soil investigation as stipulated by the Soil Environment Conservation Act and then establish a plan for contaminated soil treatment.

With construction already delayed last year due to land compensation issues, if additional contamination is confirmed in the detailed investigation, project setbacks are inevitable.

However, the district expects the additional contamination scope to be limited, as the contamination exceeding the standard was found only in the central part of the project site and at a depth of 5 to 6 meters.

Site for Bupyeong Innovation Center Construction [Photo provided by Bupyeong-gu, Incheon]

The Innovation Center, which the district is planning to build at 65-17 Bupyeong-dong with three underground floors, 19 above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 8,494㎡, is a key facility of the 'Bupyeong 11th Street' urban regeneration project. It will include a food platform, happy housing, a public support center, and a public parking lot.

A Bupyeong-gu official stated, "We plan to conduct a detailed soil contamination investigation and remove and purify the contaminated soil so that residents can use the newly built Innovation Center in a safe and pleasant environment. We will do our best to ensure there are no delays in the Innovation Center construction schedule."