Uijeongbu-si Exempted from Preliminary Feasibility Study for Resource Recovery Facility Modernization Project

Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Dong-geun) announced on the 13th that the ‘Resource Recovery Facility Modernization Project’ has been selected as a preliminary feasibility study exemption project by the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee.

A view of Uijeongbu City Hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City.

With this exemption from the preliminary feasibility study, the city will be able to accelerate the urgent resource recovery facility modernization project to respond to the ban on direct landfill of metropolitan area municipal waste starting in 2026 and to expand stable waste treatment facilities.

Additionally, the total project period is expected to be shortened by about one year, and the city budget is anticipated to be reduced by approximately 10 billion KRW.

Uijeongbu City has been promoting the relocation and expansion of the resource recovery facility within the Jail-dong Environmental Resource Center site to resolve the shortage of incineration capacity caused by the aging of the existing resource recovery facility (incineration facility) that began operation in 2001 and the increase in municipal waste volume due to population growth.

Since 2017, the city has conducted administrative procedures such as feasibility studies for the resource recovery facility modernization project, announcement of site selection plans, and strategic environmental impact assessments. However, due to insufficient communication with the local community, social conflicts arose with local residents and civic groups, causing delays.

In response, last year the city promoted a citizen public forum to allow citizens to lead and find solutions directly, successfully resolving conflicts with local residents and reaching social consensus, ultimately selecting the site at the Jail-dong Environmental Resource Center.

Due to the urgency of constructing new facilities caused by the aging of existing facilities and the increase in municipal waste, Uijeongbu City applied for an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study to the Ministry of Economy and Finance in August and received the exemption decision from the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee.

According to the National Finance Act, once the project scale and budget are finalized through a project plan adequacy review that assesses the appropriateness of the facility scale and project cost for projects exempted from the preliminary feasibility study, the city plans to promptly carry out administrative procedures such as local fiscal investment review and complete construction by 2030.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun stated, “The selection of Uijeongbu City’s Resource Recovery Facility Modernization Project as a preliminary feasibility study exemption project is the result of efforts to solve the incineration plant issue together with citizens through the citizen public forum,” adding, “We will continue to communicate steadily with citizens to ensure that the facility is installed in a timely manner.”