Chungnam Environmental Movement Union: "Not a Solution for Water Shortage and Flood Prevention"
Cheongyang County Council: "An Irresponsible Project That Will Cause Environmental, Social, and Economic Disasters"
The Chungnam Environmental Movement Federation is holding a press conference opposing the construction of Jicheon Dam in Cheongyang on the 7th. / Naepo = Photo by Kim Ayoung
Opposition is growing against the Ministry of Environment's plan to construct the Cheongyang Jicheon Multipurpose Dam.
The Chungnam Environmental Movement Union held a press conference at the provincial government office on the 7th, stating, "Plans to promote the Cheongyang Jicheon Multipurpose Dam have been announced three times since 1990, but each time they were scrapped due to opposition from Cheongyang residents," and argued, "Dam construction cannot be a solution for water shortages or flood prevention."
They added, "According to the 2022 water supply statistics, Cheongyang uses 11,634 tons of water per day, with groundwater accounting for 5,426 tons, the largest portion," and emphasized, "Effectively utilizing local water resources, including groundwater, is advantageous as it allows the region to have water autonomy, and Cheongyang County is already doing so, making additional dam construction unnecessary."
They further pointed out, "The flooding of Cheongyang Jicheon during the heavy rain last July occurred due to levee collapses in Cheongnam-myeon and Mok-myeon, where the stream meets the Geumgang River," and questioned, "Given that Namyang-myeon, which suffered severe flood damage in 2022, had no damage after stream maintenance, we want to ask whether a precise cause analysis for flood defense was conducted before planning the dam construction."
The Cheongyang County Council also issued a statement urging the withdrawal of the Cheongyang Jicheon Multipurpose Dam construction plan.
They criticized, "The Ministry of Environment claims dam construction is for climate crisis response and future water security, but for Cheongyang residents, it is an irresponsible project that will bring irreversible environmental, social, and economic disasters."
They continued, "With the construction of a dam with a capacity of 59 million cubic meters, 55 households in Cheongyang will lose their homes, and the destruction of the aquatic ecosystem will cause algal blooms, leaving nature in an irrecoverable state," and emphasized, "Since the Jicheon Multipurpose Dam is not a large-scale dam like Soyanggang Dam or Chungju Dam, its flood control effect will be minimal, making drainage facilities and levee management even more important."
The county council stated, "The environmental and social damages suffered by residents due to past dam constructions such as Yongdam Dam, Yeongwol Dam, and Hantangang Dam are painful lessons," and added, "We will fight to the end to protect residents' right to survival and the natural environment."
Previously, among the 14 candidate sites for climate crisis dams announced by the Ministry of Environment last month, the Cheongyang Jicheon Multipurpose Dam was selected in Chungnam.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
