By Kim Bo-eun

Sections of a park near the U.S. military base Camp Market in Bupyeong, west of Seoul, was found to have been contaminated with oil and heavy metals, a joint investigation team of experts and officials said Thursday.

The team examined 44 spots of the 71,700 square meters Buyoung Park and found that 14 of them had oil and heavy-metal contamination exceeding the permissible level.

At 11, the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination exceeded the permissible level of 500 milligrams per kilogram of soil. At certain spots, contamination was 15 times the permissible level at 7,656 mg/kg.

Heavy metal components such as lead and zinc were also found to exceed the permissible levels at around twice that allowable. Dioxin was also found in 28 spots, albeit at low levels.

Three of the four spots that were investigated in the area neighboring Sangoknam Elementary School near the park had three times the permissible level of TPH at 1,346 mg/kg. The team accordingly estimated that it would be highly likely that the soil in the school area would have also been contaminated.

The investigation team will select the areas to be subject to a second investigation and will also decide whether to look within the boundaries of the school.

“The results of this investigation are not final and further investigations will reveal the actual levels of contamination,” said a member of the team. “We will soon present the results of our investigation of the school grounds and decide whether to close Buyoung Park.”

Bupyeong organized the investigation team comprised of civic groups, public officials and experts last November to look into the pollution levels around Camp Market. It requested the Korean Rural Community Corporation to conduct a probe to confirm allegations about soil contamination in the area by the base.