Second Meeting Held at Provincial Office on the 3rd
Basic Plan Proposed First to Resolve Conflicts
The "Jicheon Dam Regional Council," which includes residents and experts from Cheongyang and Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province, has decided to first conduct a basic plan regarding the construction of the Jicheon Dam.
According to the province on the 4th, the Jicheon Dam Regional Council discussed the Ministry of Environment's outline for the Jicheon Dam project, future procedures, the implementation of the basic plan, and the upcoming schedule during its second meeting held in the small conference room of the provincial government office on the 3rd.
The council members stated that even if the basic plan proceeds, it does not mean the dam construction is confirmed. They agreed to gather residents' opinions for and against the project after the basic plan is carried out.
They also pointed out that since the necessity and scale of the Jicheon Dam are still unclear, conflicts are continuously escalating. Therefore, they suggested that the basic plan must be conducted first to resolve these issues.
Cheongyang County demanded clear answers from the Ministry of Environment regarding seven major concerns related to dam construction: ▲ concerns about the designation of water source protection zones ▲ concerns about regulations and administrative sanctions under other laws ▲ concerns about damage from fog formation ▲ development measures to address the loss of agricultural and livestock industry foundations ▲ countermeasures for the collapse of Jicheon embankments in the event of simultaneous discharge from Daecheong Dam and Jicheon Dam ▲ solutions for green algae occurrence and ecosystem destruction ▲ measures to ensure government-level commitments are fulfilled.
In response, Chairman Park Cheolgwon requested that South Chungcheong Province ask the Ministry of Environment to include the Jicheon Dam in the basic plan research project promoted by the ministry, and also urged efforts to ensure the basic plan process is thoroughly shared with local residents.
The dam construction project proceeds through the following steps: establishment of a river basin water resources management plan, basic plan, preliminary feasibility study, feasibility study, strategic environmental impact assessment, and establishment and announcement of the basic dam construction plan.
During the basic plan stage, the process includes collecting basic data such as relevant plans, analyzing data to determine the dam's scale, formulating flood defense plans and water supply systems, reviewing the dam's scale and major impacts, and drafting the business plan. This stage is expected to take about 4 to 5 months.
Meanwhile, the regional council was formed after the Jicheon Dam (Cheongyang and Buyeo) was included as a candidate site for a climate response dam in the "First River Basin Water Resources Management Plan," which was reviewed and approved by the National Water Resources Management Committee on the 12th of last month.
The council consists of 16 members: 3 residents from Cheongyang, 6 residents from Buyeo, 4 experts, and 3 ex officio members (the head of the Water Management Policy Division of South Chungcheong Province, the head of the Planning and Audit Office of Cheongyang County, and the head of the Environment Division of Buyeo County).
The main functions of the regional council are to decide whether to proceed with the basic plan for the Jicheon Dam, address residents' concerns and demands during the process, develop balanced policy alternatives that comprehensively consider the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the dam project, and propose solutions to problems that may arise during the dam construction process.
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