"Back Then It Was OK, Expansion Not Allowed" ... Yangsan Waste Incineration Plant 'Modernization Project' Faces Resident Opposition and Stalls

Replacing Only Aging Facilities vs. Efficient Expansion for Future Preparedness

Appearance of the 'NC Yangsan' incineration plant.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The modernization project of the aging incineration plant in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, is drifting due to residents reversing their stance.

NC Yangsan, a large waste disposal company in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, faced difficulties in pushing forward the modernization and expansion project of the aging incineration facility as residents who initially agreed to the project turned against it after negotiations.

Some resident representatives who participated in the negotiations opposed the expansion, while others only allowed modernization, taking a firm stance. The business operator, who needs to consider project efficiency for the future, is caught in a dilemma.

According to Yangsan City on the 28th, the waste disposal company has been pursuing a plan since 2018 to demolish the existing incinerator and build a state-of-the-art incineration facility on a 3,000㎥ site to increase the daily processing capacity from 60 tons to 200 tons.

At that time, residents of nearby Samsung-dong formed an Odor and Dust Countermeasure Committee and strongly demanded that Yangsan City strengthen administrative guidance on 14 odor and dust emission companies.

In this situation, the company proposed a modernization project for the incineration plant with a budget of 40 billion KRW from its own funds without national subsidies.

Subsequently, the company and the Odor and Dust Countermeasure Committee held a public inspection and briefing session on the draft environmental impact assessment report in February to March 2019, and reflecting some opposition, adjusted the expansion scale to 150 tons and signed an agreement.

The agreement included detailed provisions to create an eco-friendly atmosphere like a park in the surrounding environment and to establish a fund for pollution prevention activities by the Odor and Dust Countermeasure Committee.

The agreement was signed by leaders of Samsung-dong organizations, including Chairman A, the head of the neighborhood association council, apartment residents, the apartment management union president, the sports association president, the women's association president, and the resident autonomy committee chairman.

More than three years later, when the company announced its intention to proceed with the project, Chairman A, who had participated in the agreement, reportedly changed his position. He is now opposing the establishment of the incineration plant in alliance with local political figures.

Chairman A said, "I signed three years ago without fully understanding the environment and faced much criticism from the community. Many residents still oppose the expansion, and considering residents' health, I believe only modernization should proceed."

A representative of the Countermeasure Committee who signed the agreement said, "Most residents want a clean village community free from odor and dust, but I am worried about what benefits the extreme opposition of some residents will bring to the entire community."

One of the co-chairmen of the newly formed Odor and Dust Countermeasure Committee, former Yangsan City Council member Park Jae-woo, said, "At that time, the committee members did not have accurate information. We do not consider the agreement final. We only want to modernize the existing incineration facility that processes 60 tons."

Former Councilman Park added, "Currently, the incineration plant processes 15 tons from the Yangsan area and 40 tons from outside areas, so the current capacity is sufficient. Even if it is proven that the latest construction method completely solves pollution problems, we have no intention to support expansion."

An NC Yangsan official stated, "If we build the incineration plant using the latest method, which includes reinforcing the facility's exterior wall with retaining block bricks and incinerating twice at about 1000℃, pollution problems will be completely resolved. We cannot understand why residents oppose the modernization project that we are trying to carry out with our own budget as residents wished."

The company said, "Expansion is necessary from a 30 to 40-year future-oriented perspective, and only about 70% of the incinerators will be operated for safety. Recently, as fuel prices have risen sharply, more local companies want cheap waste heat, making the modernization project with advanced technology urgently needed."

A local resident said, "It is confusing that they now oppose the modernization project based on the agreed and approved content. The only change since the agreement was the fall of some resident representatives in the recent local elections."

A resource circulation department official from Yangsan City said, "The NC Yangsan incineration plant, licensed in 1993, is a 30-year-old facility, so modernization is absolutely necessary. Since the final environmental impact assessment report has not yet been submitted, and administrative procedures have not started, we cannot make any premature judgments or comments."

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