Ulsan environmental groups demand police probe into illegal waste dumping

Residents and environmental activists in Ulsan are calling for a thorough police investigation into a growing number of illegal waste dumping cases plaguing the region. Holding a press conference outside the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, they urged authorities to take a more active role in cracking down on perpetrators and landowners involved in illicit waste disposal.

The groups highlighted recent incidents in the Buk-gu district (Cheongok-dong and Sang-an-dong) and the Ulju-gun district (Naewon-ri), where large-scale illegal dumping has been uncovered. They contend that despite local governments filing complaints and lawsuits against offenders, the police have not adequately investigated the origin of the waste, the transport companies involved, or the truck logs. This perceived lack of rigorous investigation, they argue, has allowed the problem to persist.

To address the issue systemically, the activists proposed that the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency should directly handle these cases, rather than leaving them to individual local police stations. They believe this centralized approach is necessary to uncover the full extent of the illegal dumping operations and dismantle the networks involved. Following the press conference, the Ulsan Environmental Movement Federation filed a complaint with the Ulsan Police Agency against six individuals, including perpetrators and truck drivers, for alleged violations of the Waste Management Act and the Soil Environment Conservation Act.

In one instance discovered in early May in Ulju-gun's Duseo-myeon, illegal dumping sites were found to contain heavy metals significantly exceeding standard limits, including 16 times the limit for copper, 11.7 times for zinc, 6.8 times for nickel, 6.5 times for cadmium, and 2.4 times for arsenic. Ulju County has installed containment barriers to prevent rainwater infiltration and leachate leakage and is considering administrative measures for restoration.