Toxic Chemicals

Nakdong River Contaminated With Phenol From Factory

The accidental release of the toxic chemical phenol from a factory fire has contaminated the Nakdong River flowing through the southeastern Gyeongsang provinces. Unfortunately, the release reminds us of a similar incident in 1991, which shocked the nation as it showed how vulnerable the river was to environmental catastrophe. The latest case only demonstrated South Korea has a long way to go as far as environmental protection is concerned.

Residents in the affected areas are worried about the pollution of tap water, although authorities denied any contamination. Worries were reflected in sales of bottled drinking water, which have tripled since the leak. Tap water supply was briefly suspended to about 100,000 houses. Police estimated that as much as 11.2 kilograms of phenol flowed into the river after a fire ravaged a phenol rosin factory belonging to Kolon Industries in Gimcheon on March 1.

It is regrettable that the toxic substance was released in the course of the fire. Firefighters should have taken appropriate measures to prevent the harmful chemicals from finding their way to the river. Environmentalists criticized authorities for neglecting to set up a makeshift dike. It is deplorable that provincial authorities have no guidelines to cope with emergencies at factories dealing with toxic materials.

There are about 7,000 factories releasing waste into water in North Gyeongsang Province alone. Local officials are obliged to make on-site checks to ensure that plants operate proper treatment facilities and are ready to respond quickly to emergencies. We can never forget the 1991 phenol nightmare that threw 10 million residents along the river into fear and anger about the devastating environmental damage.

The Kolon Industries' factory was suspected of the phenol release 17 years ago, although Doosan Electro-Materials in Gumi was found to be the culprit. Kolon was cleared of the suspicion but failed to take steps to prevent leaks of toxic substances. Provincial authorities have also neglected their role as a regulator and supervisor. Against this backdrop, harmful substance leaks have not yet stopped. To name a few, dioxin was detected in the river in 2004 and other harmful chemicals in 2006.

Environmental activists call on the state and the provincial authorities to take radical measures to prevent the recurrence of such cases. All economic players have to join efforts to pursue sustainable development before it is too late. We cannot overemphasize the importance of Mother Nature. President Lee Myung-bak is pushing for a cross-nation canal project linking the Nakdong River to the Han River. He should pay more heed to public concerns that the large-scale project might wreak irrecoverable damage on the environment.