Hwaseong City: "Absolutely Cannot Accept CHP Plant Near Schools and Residential Areas in Jinan District"

"Threat to Citizens' Health and Learning Environment"
City Urges LH to Develop Alternatives

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province has officially requested a change in the planned location of the combined heat and power (CHP) facility that Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) intends to install within the Hwaseong Jinan Public Housing District.

On June 17, the city announced that it had held a meeting with the LH Hwaseong Project Headquarters at city hall and conveyed its position that it "absolutely cannot accept the current plan for the CHP facility within the Jinan District."

The Jinan District was announced in August 2021 as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's "Metropolitan Housing Supply Expansion Plan." The project area covers approximately 4.53 million square meters across Jinan, Banjeong, Banwol, Gisan, and Byeongjeom-dong in Hwaseong, and is set to become a new city-scale residential district with around 29,000 housing units. The district was officially designated in February last year, and LH, as the project implementer, applied for district plan approval from the Ministry of Land in February this year.

According to LH's site plan, the CHP facility will be located on the southeastern side of the district. The controversy has arisen because the facility is adjacent to residential areas and school facilities in Dongtan 1 New Town.

During the meeting, the city stated, "The planned site for the CHP facility is adjacent to educational facilities with about 1,500 students and a large, densely populated residential area," and emphasized that "the installation of the CHP facility is a serious issue that threatens citizens' right to health and a pleasant residential and learning environment."

The city also pointed out, "Despite the fact that securing agreement with the local government and resident acceptance must be prerequisites for such a facility, the project has proceeded without sufficient prior consultation." The city urged LH to communicate with Hwaseong City and its citizens while developing alternative measures and to move forward with transparency.

Furthermore, the city requested a review of the surrounding conditions of the proposed site to develop a plan that preserves residents' housing stability, living conditions, and learning environment, and called for the prompt establishment of a project plan that reflects the opinions of the city and its citizens, along with an official statement of position.

The city added, "We will actively participate in future discussions with LH with an open attitude," and stated its intention "to seek a desirable direction that can fully reflect the concerns of the local community and restore public trust and integrity."