Opposition to Incinerator Construction in Namdong-gu, Incheon... Establishing Stable Household Waste Management Measures

During Songdo Incineration Plant Maintenance, Waste to Be Processed at Private Incineration Facilities
Incineration Plant Operation Plans to Be Submitted to the City This Month by Yeonsu-gu and Michuhol-gu

Gangho Lee, head of Namdong-gu Office in Incheon (center), is taking a commemorative photo after signing a 'Municipal Waste Disposal Service Agreement' with two private incineration facilities.
[Photo by Namdong-gu, Incheon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Namdong-gu, which opposes the plan to establish a metropolitan incineration plant in Incheon, has maintained its position to utilize the existing Songdo incineration plant and has taken steps to establish a stable disposal plan for municipal waste.

On the 12th, Namdong-gu announced that it signed a business agreement regarding the disposal of municipal waste in Namdong-gu with local private incineration facilities Greensco Co., Ltd. and ERG Service Co., Ltd.

This agreement was promoted to prepare a municipal waste disposal plan during the maintenance period of the existing Songdo incineration plant, in accordance with the agreement of the 'Southern Region Resource Circulation Policy Council' composed of the heads of three districts (Namdong, Yeonsu, Michuhol).

According to the agreement, the two private incineration facilities will prioritize processing about 53 tons of municipal waste from Namdong-gu during the maintenance period of the Songdo incineration plant after the closure of the metropolitan landfill site in Seo-gu, Incheon in 2025, and the intake volume can be expanded by separate agreement if necessary.

This corresponds to about 35% of the current daily municipal waste output of 150 tons in Namdong-gu. For the remaining volume, Namdong-gu plans to request Incheon City to operate a quota system for intake volume by demanding a phased maintenance plan for the Songdo incineration plant and seek disposal measures.

The district also plans to thoroughly prepare to ensure there is no difficulty in using the existing Songdo incineration plant by consulting in advance with incineration facilities in neighboring local governments to prepare for unexpected situations.

Previously, in October last year, Incheon City announced plans to establish three incineration plants (metropolitan resource circulation centers) in preparation for the ban on direct landfill of municipal waste in 2026, targeting the western region (Jung-gu, Michuhol-gu), central region (Dong-gu, Namdong-gu), and Ganghwa-gun, along with candidate sites.

The candidate sites for incineration plants to be used jointly by two to three districts are three locations: 69, Sinheung-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu; 714-3, Gojan-dong, Namdong-gu; and 878-1, Yongjeong-ri, Ganghwa-gun. Additionally, the city plans to modernize and downscale two of the three existing metropolitan incineration plants located in Songdo and Cheongna.

The city plans to create its own landfill site, 'Incheon Eco Land,' in preparation for the closure of the current metropolitan landfill site in Seo-gu in 2025. It views the expansion of metropolitan incineration plants as inevitable to operate Eco Land, which will landfill only non-combustible waste and municipal waste incineration ash.

However, the three districts of Namdong-gu, Michuhol-gu, and Yeonsu-gu have opposed the plan, stating, "If the two existing incineration plants in Yeonsu-gu are utilized, waste from surrounding areas can be processed without additional construction," and demanded the complete withdrawal of the incineration plant establishment plans in Namdong-gu and Jung-gu.

In response, Incheon City is concerned whether local governments can properly dispose of waste during the approximately 60-day annual facility maintenance period if the existing Songdo incineration plant continues to be used.

Lee Kang-ho, mayor of Namdong-gu, said, "This agreement is a concrete plan for the 'waste disposal plan during the incineration plant maintenance period' that Incheon City has continuously raised," and added, "We will submit the incineration plant operation plan including the agreement contents to Incheon City through the Southern Region Resource Circulation Policy Council by mid-month and continue to demand the withdrawal of the incineration plant preliminary candidate sites."

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