Ki-Yeol Kim, Daegu Dalseo District Council Member: "Bangcheon-ri Landfill Odor Has Harmed Residents for Over 30 Years"

On December 12, Ki-Yeol Kim, a member of the Daegu Dalseo District Council, urged for measures to eradicate smoking and vehicle idling around the Seongseo National Sports Center and to reduce odors from the Bangcheon-ri sanitary landfill during a five-minute free speech at the second plenary session of the 316th regular meeting of the Dalseo District Council.

Kim explained, "Although the center is a key local sports facility, complaints about smoking and vehicle idling have persisted, leading to ongoing discussions with the executive branch. Thanks to the executive branch's active review, the entire indoor and outdoor premises of the center have been reclassified as a 'public institution building,' making it a legally designated non-smoking area under the National Health Promotion Act. Additionally, as of December 1, the area around the center has been newly designated as a 'priority vehicle idling restriction zone.'

Ki-Yeol Kim, Member of the Daegu Dalseo District Council

He went on to request that the administration actively promote the effectiveness of these measures by installing signs and electronic displays.

Regarding the odor from the Bangcheon-ri landfill in Dasa-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Kim pointed out, "Although the landfill covers 850,000 square meters with a perimeter of 4 kilometers, the odor problem has been concentrated on Dalseo residents for over 30 years."

Kim stated, "Daegu City has installed odor sensors at the landfill, which automatically spray deodorant when the odor intensity reaches 8 odor units (OU) or higher. However, an analysis of odor measurement data from Waryong High School, Gyeongwon High School, and Igok Rose Park-three residential areas-over a 42-day period (October 1 to November 12), based on the daily peak values, showed that the odor intensity exceeded 5 OU, the level at which residents can perceive the smell, on an average of 23 days at the three sites. In particular, at Igok Rose Park, the odor exceeded 5 OU on 31 out of 42 days." He emphasized, "The automatic deodorant spray should be activated starting at 5 OU, the level at which residents notice the smell, and at the very least, water spraying should be immediately implemented to prevent further spread."

He further argued, "The current five automatic sprayers at the landfill are far from sufficient. It is necessary to gradually expand to about 50 units, establishing a first and second line of defense with 10 units in the central area and 40 units around the perimeter at 100-meter intervals. In particular, reinforcement toward the Yongsan and Igok areas is urgently needed."

Finally, Kim stated, "Protecting the living environment and health rights of Dalseo residents is a fundamental administrative duty. Daegu City must no longer ignore the suffering of residents and should promptly implement effective odor reduction measures. I strongly urge Dalseo District and related agencies to play an active role in this matter."