"A Matter of the Right to Life and Water Resource Sovereignty"
Sustainable Purification Needed Through an Ecological New Deal
The Andong City Council in North Gyeongsang Province has called for comprehensive and practical government intervention regarding the long-term heavy metal contamination that has accumulated upstream in the Nakdong River and Andong Dam.
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There is a growing demand to treat this not merely as an environmental issue but as a national responsibility, and to promote a sustainable purification project through the 'Andong-style Ecological New Deal' with the participation of local residents.
On June 19, the Andong City Council (Chairperson Kim Kyungdo) held the second plenary session of its 259th regular meeting and unanimously adopted a resolution urging government action for the purification of heavy metals accumulated upstream in the Nakdong River and Andong Dam.
This resolution was proposed by Councilor Son Kwangyoung (representing Taehwa, Pyeonghwa, and Angi districts), who had already highlighted the severity of heavy metal pollution and the need for a region-led purification model during a five-minute free speech on June 10.
Through the resolution, the council pointed out, "For decades, hazardous heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead have accumulated upstream in the Nakdong River and Andong Dam, threatening not only water quality but also causing ecosystem disruption and posing risks to public health." The council further emphasized, "This is not simply a local environmental issue but a matter of water resource sovereignty and the right to life for the people, requiring urgent, systematic, and national-level action."
The resolution calls for: ▲ a renewed and fully disclosed investigation of the contamination by the Ministry of Environment; ▲ designation of the purification project as a national priority and securing of state funding; ▲ establishment of a joint roadmap with participation from local governments and residents; ▲ strong legal and administrative measures against Youngpoong Seokpo Smelter; and ▲ active participation by Korea Water Resources Corporation in projects to improve water quality at Andong Dam.
In particular, Councilor Son stressed, "The 'Andong-style Ecological New Deal' project, which enables residents affected by wildfires to participate as the main agents of purification, is a sustainable solution that can achieve both environmental restoration and regional revitalization." He added, "The central government must step in to overcome the limitations of responses led solely by local governments."
He also stated, "Since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, this is the optimal time to practically purify the Andong Dam water system under national responsibility, based on a framework of state governance that best understands local realities, and to elevate this to the status of a national project."
Meanwhile, the Andong City Council plans to officially deliver the adopted resolution to the National Assembly, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Environment, Korea Water Resources Corporation, and other relevant agencies, and will await a response at the government level.
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