Chungnam, Environmental Epidemiological Survey on Transmission Line Impact

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is accelerating efforts to confirm the causal relationship behind the occurrence of specific diseases suffered by residents living near transmission lines (towers).

On the 10th, the Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced that it held the second interim report meeting for the "Environmental Epidemiological Investigation Research on the Impact of Transmission Lines from Thermal Power Plants," sharing achievements so far and discussing continuous response measures.

The research project is being conducted by the Korean Society of Environmental Health, reflecting ongoing concerns about health damage to residents near transmission lines. It has been planned as a four-year project (2021?2025) since last year.

The investigation focuses on how extremely low-frequency magnetic fields generated by transmission lines from thermal power plants have affected the health of local residents over a long period.

Currently, Chungnam hosts 29 coal-fired thermal power plants, accounting for half of the nation's total, along with the associated transmission systems in operation.

The problem lies in the fact that among 4,168 high-voltage steel towers and 1,395 km of transmission lines, the underground cabling rate is only 1.4% (19.1 km), ranking among the lowest nationwide.

The low underground cabling rate is cited as a cause not only of health damage to residents living beneath high-voltage transmission lines but also of deepening conflicts between residents and operators.

Moreover, research results suggesting that exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields from high-voltage transmission lines may influence the occurrence of diseases such as childhood leukemia, brain tumors, and breast cancer have increased the need to confirm a clear causal relationship.

Accordingly, at the interim report meeting, the Korean Society of Environmental Health proposed detailed and comprehensive mid- to long-term response measures, including future management of vulnerable groups and expansion of research areas, based on sample analyses of electromagnetic wave exposure and survey results.

The province plans to use the data accumulated over the next four years to ensure that the research project becomes a milestone not only for local residents but also for the establishment of national environmental health mid- to long-term policies.

Lee Pil-young, Deputy Governor of Chungnam Province, said, "Investigating the causal relationship between electromagnetic waves generated by transmission lines and residents' health must consider multiple variables, so it is expected to be complex and multifaceted. The province will faithfully carry out the research project to achieve a transition to clean energy that prioritizes public health and safety, thereby presenting a new direction for energy policy that we should pursue."

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