Dioxin, a
Group 1 carcinogen, has reportedly been detected at a former US military base
site in Busan that was returned four years ago.
“Dioxin has
been detected at the US Forces Korea Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office
(DRMO) in the Gaegeum and Danggam neighborhoods of the Busanjin district in the
heart of downtown Busan,” Green Korea United said on June 12.
“The soil
contamination is severe,” the group added. This marks the second time that
dioxin has been detected at a returned US military base, after a previous
discovery at Camp Market in Incheon’s Bupyeong district.
The group also
alleged that the Ministry of Environment (MOE) failed to disclose the findings
of an investigation into dioxin contamination last year, with the announcement
of its detection coming only belatedly on June 10 during an on-site briefing by
the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC). KRC has been commissioning a
cleanup effort on the site. The MOE study detected dioxin at depths of up to
one meter below the surface of the soil. A total of 817 cubic meters of soil
was reportedly found to be contaminated, or over 50 25-ton dump trucks’ worth.
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