Gwangsan District in Gwangju Launches Task Force to Address Groundwater Contamination in Hanam Industrial Complex

First Civil-Government Meeting Held...
On-Site Survey to Be Completed Within the Year
Improvement Orders Issued for Groundwater Exceeding TCE Standards

The Gwangsan District Civil-Government Special Task Force (TF) has officially begun operations to address groundwater and soil contamination in the Hanam Industrial Complex in Gwangsan District, Gwangju. On the previous day, the district announced that it held the first meeting of the "Hanam Industrial Complex Groundwater and Soil Contamination Prevention Measures TF" in the district office's main conference room, where future response strategies were discussed.

A view of the Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju.

The task force consists of 16 members, including environmental experts, environmental organizations, residents, members of the Gwangsan District Council, officials from the Korea Rural Community Corporation, and representatives from the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office. The team oversees inspections of groundwater facilities in the Hanam Industrial Complex and adjacent residential areas, the establishment of contamination monitoring systems, the development of remediation plans, and institutional improvements.

Since July 17, the district has been conducting emergency water quality tests for trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) at 245 groundwater wells in the Hanam Industrial Complex and nearby areas. The full results are expected by the end of this month, and administrative response measures will be discussed at a second meeting scheduled for early next month.

The task force has emphasized the need for regular water quality testing, proposing to increase the inspection frequency of the existing 142 monitoring sites to four times a year on a quarterly basis, and to disclose the results to the public. The Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office has pledged cooperation for prompt water quality testing.

As of July 22, the district had requested tests for 115 wells, and at two locations within the Hanam Industrial Complex, TCE and PCE levels exceeded the standards. Water quality improvement orders have been issued for these sites. The district plans to continue operating the task force until measures are established to prevent further contamination and to implement remediation strategies.