Pyeongtaek City Reviews Adjustment of Water Source Protection Area for System Semiconductor Industrial Complex Development

Adjustment Inevitable Due to Inclusion of Part of Industrial Complex Site

Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province is reviewing whether to adjust the Songtan water source protection zone for the development project of the advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex in the Yongin Idong and Namsa-eup areas. Since part of the planned system semiconductor industrial complex site is designated as a regulated area due to the water source protection zone, easing location regulations is inevitable.

According to Pyeongtaek City on the 7th, the city held a residents' briefing session regarding the adjustment of the water source protection zone in the city hall's main conference room and announced this position.

The area of Idong-eup and Namsa-eup in Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, where the advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex will be established. Seventeen percent of the planned industrial complex site is subject to location regulations due to designation as a water source protection zone.
[Photo by Yongin-si]

Part of the planned system semiconductor industrial complex site has been included in the water source protection zone since the operation of the Songtan water intake facility in Jinwi-myeon, Pyeongtaek, in 1979. Although the water source protection zone covers only 3.859㎢, when including the factory establishment restricted area of 18.41㎢ and the factory establishment approval area of 76.33㎢, a total of 98.599㎢ is subject to location regulations. Among these, the Yongin area also includes 1.572㎢ in the water source protection zone, 9.41㎢ as a factory establishment restricted area, and 53.45㎢ as a factory establishment approval area.

So far, Yongin City has consistently requested Pyeongtaek City, which holds the authority to lift the water source protection zone, to ease regulations, but Pyeongtaek City has refused in order to protect the water source and prevent the deterioration of water quality in Pyeongtaek Lake downstream.

However, since 1.22㎢ of the Namsa-eup area, accounting for 17% of the 7.1㎢ system semiconductor national industrial complex site announced by the government in March last year, is included in the 'factory establishment approval area,' the need to adjust the water source protection zone has been continuously raised. This is because 'emission workplaces' including semiconductor-related industries or 'businesses subject to hazardous chemical substance operation permits' are excluded from factory establishment approval, making it impossible to establish such facilities in the current state.

Pyeongtaek City's step back from its previously consistent stance of not adjusting the zone appears to be influenced by criticism that local governments might hinder the government's efforts to foster national core strategic industries.

However, the city maintains a position that it has not yet set a specific policy but is open to the possibility of modifying the Songtan water source protection zone to strengthen the national semiconductor industry's competitiveness. The city plans to prepare three review options?preservation, adjustment, and cancellation?and gather residents' opinions before deciding its stance.

A Pyeongtaek City official explained, "We have not set a policy to immediately lift or adjust the Songtan water source protection zone. However, since there are demands for regulatory easing for the establishment of the Yongin national industrial complex, we will listen to residents' opinions and then determine the direction."

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