Busan Gijang-gun Absolutely Opposes NC Medi's 'New Incineration Plant Project Plan'

Busan Gijang-gun recently took a strong stance against the medical waste incineration company ‘NC Medi’ submitting a business plan to the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office for the establishment of a new medical waste incineration facility, stating that the installation of a new incineration plant within the jurisdiction is absolutely unacceptable.

Gijang County Office.

This new business plan application involves the construction of a new incineration facility separate from the existing one operated by the company at its current location (Yangsu-gil area, Jeonggwan-eup). The new facility is planned to be located on four sites including Yerim-ri, Jeonggwan-eup, and the company has stated that it intends to close the existing incinerator once the new one is installed and operational.

Accordingly, the county has made it clear that the establishment of a new medical waste incineration plant is absolutely prohibited, and it will not accept either the construction of a new facility or the expansion of the current site.

County Governor Jeong Jong-bok emphasized, “Since NC Medi was permitted in 2005 to install a medical waste incineration facility in Jeonggwan New Town, local residents have suffered from odors related to medical waste incineration to this day. Under no circumstances will the establishment or expansion of an incineration plant against the will of the residents be allowed.”

NC Medi also submitted a business plan for the same site to the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office in 2022 but voluntarily withdrew it in January 2023 before recently resubmitting the plan. On March 29, the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office sent an official letter to Gijang-gun requesting a legal review of the business plan, and the county is currently reviewing relevant laws and gathering residents’ opinions on the matter.