Complete Cancellation One Month After Selecting a Single Candidate Site
Criticism for Passing the Issue Due to 'Regional Conflict'
Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province has completely scrapped its plan to install new waste incineration and landfill facilities. This decision comes just one month after selecting a single candidate site and announcing the project plan.
On the 3rd, Pyeongtaek City announced through a press release that it has concluded not to pursue the new waste incineration and landfill facility installation project during the 8th term of the elected administration.
A view of Pyeongtaek Eco Center, a waste treatment facility in Pyeongtaek City. [Image source=Pyeongtaek City]
Previously, on the 4th of last month, Pyeongtaek City had announced the area of 800,031㎡ in Daean-ri and Gisan-ri, Hyeondeok-myeon, as the first candidate site for the "Pyeongtaek City Environmental Complex Facility Installation Project," capable of incinerating and landfilling 1,025 tons of household and industrial waste daily. However, after residents in the area clashed over support and opposition, the city changed the plan at the end of last month and switched to a public contest method for the project.
Despite this, as local conflicts over waste treatment facilities continued, the city ultimately decided to cancel the project entirely. The city explained, "Although we actively collected opposing opinions raised in Hyeondeok-myeon and switched to a public contest method, there are still misunderstandings about the project, and conflicts among residents are occurring," adding, "The project will not be pursued during the 8th term of the elected administration."
Mayor Jeong Jang-seon of Pyeongtaek stated, "We pursued the installation of a waste treatment facility for the future of the region," but added, "However, there are many misunderstandings, and conflicts among citizens have arisen, causing significant side effects in project implementation." He further said, "During the 8th term, we will spend time deliberating and seek solutions to waste treatment and garbage issues together with the citizens."
However, the city plans to continue discussions regarding local waste treatment facilities. Although current local waste treatment facilities are saturated, the government is strengthening the obligation to treat waste at the source, and with population growth increasing waste generation, the city believes related discussions are necessary.
Going forward, the city will conduct sufficient communication among citizens over an extended period regarding the installation of new waste incineration and landfill facilities. During this process, the city plans to listen to local opinions as much as possible and discuss whether to proceed with the waste treatment facility project and solutions to local waste problems.
Some critics argue that Pyeongtaek City's approach to the waste treatment facility project, which already carries a strong stigma as a nuisance facility, was flawed. They claim that unilateral selection of the Hyeondeok-myeon area as the first candidate site, instead of a public contest method involving voluntary resident participation, escalated conflicts.
There are also concerns that the city is passing urgent issues to the next mayor under the pretext of "resident conflicts," despite existing treatment facilities reaching saturation. In fact, due to amendments to the Waste Management Act enforcement regulations, direct landfill of household waste will be banned starting in 2026, making expansion of incineration facilities urgent. On the other hand, with the city abandoning the project during the 8th term, the new treatment facility project is inevitably delayed by at least two years.
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