85,000 Tons of Contaminated Water Treated Over 38 Days
Following Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong City has also completed the pollution control work for the water quality contamination incident in the managed stream and has begun restoring the stream to normal conditions.
Hwaseong City announced on the 16th that it had opened all seven containment dams installed in the Hwaseong City section of the managed stream to treat contaminated water caused by a fire at a hazardous material storage warehouse located in Yanggam-myeon on January 9.
The containment dike built along the management stream for contaminated water treatment following the fire at the hazardous materials storage warehouse in Hwaseong is being dismantled. [Photo by Hwaseong City]
The city explained that the removal of these containment dams was decided after reviewing the water quality improvement status with related organizations including the Ministry of Environment, Gyeonggi Province, the National Institute of Environmental Research, the Chemical Safety Agency, the Korea Environment Corporation, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation, while also considering local opinions. Ten containment dams had been installed in the managed stream to treat contaminated water, and the day before, three containment dams in the Pyeongtaek City section were removed.
The city stated that the Gyeonggi-do Health and Environment Research Institute’s inspection results for soil and water pollution in the Hwaseong City section confirmed that all 19 items, including toluene, were within the permissible discharge limits for water pollutants. Additionally, the city added that all water quality measurement items, such as concentrations of specific harmful substances, ecological toxicity, and color in the lowermost section of the stream, met the water quality improvement targets set by the Ministry of Environment, leading to the decision to restore water flow.
Since the incident occurred on January 9, the city mobilized approximately 5,400 special vehicles over 38 days to treat 84,000 tons of contaminated water from the accident site to Hansan Bridge in Pyeongtaek City.
A city official said, "To ensure the swift recovery of daily life and livelihood stability for nearby residents, we will conduct a joint damage survey and provide support according to relevant laws and regulations," adding, "We also plan to continue environmental monitoring of water quality and aquatic ecosystems in cooperation with related agencies."
Meanwhile, Hwaseong City reported that it has proposed to the Ministry of Environment to include local government boundary section accidents and local streams in the Ministry’s water pollution crisis management manual’s crisis alert criteria. The city is also preparing proposals for institutional improvements to strengthen the installation of damage prevention facilities to prevent similar disasters.
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