Incheon Namchon Industrial Complex Development Project 'Stalls'... Controversy Over Carcinogen Emissions and Greenbelt Damage

Satellite image of the area surrounding Namchon Industrial Complex project site [Provided by Incheon Green Alliance]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The development project of Namchon General Industrial Complex in Incheon is facing difficulties due to controversies over carcinogen emissions and Greenbelt destruction.

According to Incheon City and Yeonsu District on the 11th, the project operator, Namdong Smart Valley Development Co., Ltd., is promoting the general industrial complex development project on a 266,604㎡ site including a development-restricted area at 625-31 Namchon-dong, Namdong-gu, aiming for completion in 2023. Namdong Smart Valley Development is a special purpose company (SPC) established by Namdong-gu, Korea Development Bank, and Hyundai ENG.

They submitted a draft environmental impact assessment report to the Hangang River Basin Environmental Office under the Ministry of Environment at the end of June this year and are scheduled to hold a joint residents’ briefing session on the 20th.

However, the project site is a Greenbelt located in the middle of the city, with apartment complexes and schools located 90 to 500 meters away, leading to strong opposition from local residents and environmental groups.

Incheon Green Alliance stated, "The planned Namchon Industrial Complex site is an important Greenbelt that serves as a buffer zone between the vast Namdong National Industrial Complex and the city center, and it is also adjacent to Seunggi Stream, a representative project promoted by Incheon City to restore rivers." They added, "In the era of climate crisis, it must be preserved as a Greenbelt for current residents and future generations."

They also expressed concern, saying, "The draft environmental impact assessment confirmed that the emission levels of first-class carcinogens such as cadmium and benzene will exceed the risk level (the degree of likelihood that human health or the environment will be adversely affected by environmental hazards)," and "forcing the construction of the Namchon Industrial Complex in the city center, which goes against the trend of reorganizing industrial complexes to the outskirts, will seriously infringe on residents’ health rights."

They also questioned the necessity of additional industrial complex development given that Incheon already has three free economic zones and seven industrial complexes.

Incheon Green Alliance pointed out, "The Namdong National Industrial Complex (9,574,000㎡) is already established near the planned Namchon Industrial Complex site, and the Namdong Advanced Industrial Complex (233,000㎡) by LH Corporation is also underway." They added, "Moreover, the nearby Nonhyeon-dong and Gojan-dong areas were designated as odor management zones in 2006, and about 800 odor complaints have been filed in the past five years. If another large-scale industrial complex is built nearby, greater damage is expected."

In fact, the Ministry of Environment pointed out in the main opinion letter on the strategic environmental impact assessment report that "in addition to the impact of the southern Namdong National Industrial Complex, additional exposure to harmful pollutants is expected," and "even if emission industries are restricted, atmospheric quality and odor substance impacts may worsen due to conditions, so a thorough review of the industry plan is necessary."

Especially amid the controversy over first-class carcinogen emissions, residents of Seonhak-dong, Yeonsu-gu, near the planned Namchon Industrial Complex site, strongly protested by hanging banners opposing the industrial complex development.

Namdong Smart Valley Development caused controversy by stating in the summary of residents’ opinions that the risk index for four first-class carcinogens?formaldehyde, cadmium, arsenic, and benzene?was predicted to be below the risk level, despite the draft environmental impact assessment exceeding the risk values. Because of this, a preliminary briefing session for Yeonsu-gu residents was held on the 7th ahead of the joint residents’ briefing session on the 20th.

At that session, the project operator said they would exclude industries with potential for first-class carcinogen emissions, but it is known that the industrial complex development implementation plan approval application recently submitted to Incheon City did not include any changes to the industries and was submitted as per the draft, leading residents to distrust the project operator.

Residents of Seonhak-dong expressed further frustration, saying they were excluded from the residents’ briefing session held on the 3rd of last month despite being directly within the impact zone.

Go Nam-seok, head of Yeonsu District Office, said, "To minimize environmental pollutant emissions, we requested Namdong-gu and the project operator to strengthen restrictions on resident industries within the industrial complex, monitor representative air pollutants by industry, and prepare countermeasures according to pollution changes." He added, "We will form a countermeasure committee to reflect residents’ opinions raised at the briefing session and work together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.