Ulsan village poisoned by 'heavy metal sludge' from illegal dumping site

Residents of Naewari village in Uljin-gun, Ulsan, are pleading for help as their community is engulfed by illegal waste dumping, leading to severe environmental contamination. The waste, initially disguised as soil for agricultural land, has been found to be heavily laden with heavy metals and toxic substances.

Analysis of leachate, the liquid that has seeped from the waste, has revealed alarming levels of a 1-grade carcinogen, phenol, at concentrations up to 15.4 times the permissible limit. Other dangerous substances, including chlorine ions, diazinon, cyanide, and arsenic, were also detected at levels significantly exceeding safety standards, some by as much as 39.5 times.

“

Please, let us live. How can we live next to this poison?

This contamination has instilled deep fear among the village's 180 residents, who rely on groundwater for daily life. They report that their fears of groundwater pollution are now confirmed by these test results. While the local county promised bi-weekly water quality checks, residents claim these have not been consistently conducted since the first test.

“

We are already anxious about groundwater contamination, and now with these test results, we wonder how we can possibly live on.

Compounding their distress, the villagers are forced to purchase bottled water for drinking, while still using potentially contaminated groundwater for showering and laundry. Even the water from a nearby reservoir, located amidst the contaminated site, cannot be used for irrigation due to its polluted state, despite the ongoing drought and heatwave.

Despite the local government's orders for the landowners and perpetrators to restore the site, no action has been taken. The temporary tarpaulin covering the dump site is torn in places, allowing leachate to leak and kill surrounding trees. Residents have formed an emergency committee and are urging the local authorities to take decisive action, including the removal and disposal of the waste.

“

The tarpaulin, used as a temporary measure, is torn in several places, and leachate is leaking, causing surrounding trees to die. The local government must actively step in to collect and dispose of the waste from the village.