Gwangju SRF Odor Threatens Residents' Right to Health and Environment

Jinwook Jung Urges Designation of Odor Management Zone
and Formation of Public-Private Joint Task Force

Jinwook Jung, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Jinwook Jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Dongnam-gap), expressed concern over the fact that residents were not informed despite the detection of odor levels exceeding the legal limit at the Solid Refuse Fuel (SRF) facility within the Yanggwadong Metropolitan Sanitary Landfill in Nam-gu, Gwangju. He urged the implementation of practical countermeasures.

According to Representative Jung on August 11, the Health and Environment Research Institute, commissioned by the Gwangju City Government, conducted odor measurements on June 12 and 13. The results showed a dilution factor of 669 at the SRF facility’s emission outlet, which exceeds the legal limit of 500. However, neither the fact that measurements were taken nor the results were disclosed to residents. Additionally, on August 8, following a request from residents, odor sampling at the boundary of the SRF facility site detected a dilution factor of 30, surpassing the permissible limit of 15 and resulting in a non-compliance determination.

Representative Jung stated, "Since 2023, more than 100 odor complaints have been filed, indicating the severity of the damage. Nevertheless, authorities have failed to provide accurate information to residents and have responded passively in formulating countermeasures. This is a clear case of dereliction of duty." He emphasized, "It is necessary to establish fundamental improvements rather than temporary fixes."

To resolve the issue, Representative Jung called for: ▲ designation of the area surrounding the SRF facility as an 'odor management zone'; ▲ formation of a 'public-private joint task force' including citizens, government, and experts; ▲ verification of the performance of odor reduction facilities; ▲ 24-hour real-time monitoring; and ▲ transparent disclosure of all odor measurement results and every stage of countermeasure development.

He further stressed, "A broad area affected by odor, including the Hyocheon District, should be designated as an odor management zone to clarify the authority and system for odor management and supervision. A public-private joint task force should be formed to investigate the root causes of odor and should operate until improvement measures are fully implemented. The entire SRF processing and operation process must be disclosed to clearly identify the sources of odor."

Jung also stated, "Gwangju City must immediately implement effective measures to restore residents' trust and prevent further damage. We will actively work with residents to resolve the issue and take responsibility to ensure that all procedures and countermeasures are carried out transparently."