Incheon Yeonsu-gu Issues Fourth Remediation Order to Booyoung Housing for 'Neglecting Contaminated Soil'

Yeonsu-gu, Incheon issued the fourth soil remediation order against Booyoung Housing, which has been neglecting the contaminated soil at the planned site of Songdo Theme Park.

On the 14th, the district announced that, according to the Soil Environment Conservation Act, it ordered Booyoung Housing to remediate the contaminated soil at the planned theme park site near the old Songdo Amusement Park by March 11, 2027.

Booyoung Housing had previously received orders from Yeonsu-gu in December 2018, January 2021, and January 2023 to remediate the contaminated soil within two years but failed to carry out the remediation work. The district filed a criminal complaint against Booyoung Housing in January.

According to a soil investigation report released in 2021, petroleum-based total hydrocarbons (TPH), lead, fluorine, and other substances exceeding the standard levels were detected in the 386,449㎡ area of the planned theme park site.

The Environmental Policy Advisory Group of Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, held a press conference in November last year urging Booyoung Housing to clean up the contaminated soil at the planned site for the Songdo Amusement Park. Provided by Yeonsu-gu, Incheon

Under the fourth order, Booyoung Housing is subject to relaxed soil contamination standards according to the revised Soil Environment Conservation Act Enforcement Rules, which were amended in December last year, resulting in a significant reduction in the area of contaminated soil subject to remediation. The revision relaxed the fluorine contamination standard applied to this site and other miscellaneous land (Category 3 areas) from 800 mg/kg (concern standard) to 2000 mg/kg.

In this regard, environmental groups such as the Incheon Green Federation stated, "Booyoung Housing is applying the relaxed fluorine contamination remediation standards to prioritize corporate profits over citizens' safety and environmental rights," and warned, "If Booyoung Housing attempts soil contamination remediation using the revised fluorine standards, it will face strong resistance from the local community."

A Yeonsu-gu official said, "Despite extensive reviews including interpretations from the Ministry of Environment and legal advice from lawyers, we had no choice but to issue the remediation order applying the newly changed standards," adding, "We have requested the Ministry of Environment, together with Incheon City, to establish practical sanctions against those responsible for habitual soil contamination neglect."