Metropolitan area searches for new landfill site

The governments of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province began their second search for a new landfill for a new waste dump after failing to obtain approval from any municipality in their prospective sites, Monday, despite offering many incentives to the community that hosts the dumpsite.

The search became inevitable after the Incheon City Government announced in November 2020 that it would stop accepting waste coming from the entire Seoul Metropolitan area — which includes nearly 26 million people living in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon — by the end of 2025.

Seoul Capital Area Landfill Site Management, a state-owned company under the Ministry of Environment, runs the existing landfill in Incheon’s Seo District, is overseeing the selection process for a new site after being commissioned by the three regional governments.

The three regions and the management company had been searching for a new site from January until April 14, offering incentives, including direct financial support. But so far, no municipality has stepped up to offer a site.

Seoul Capital Area Landfill Site Management has opened the second application process for prospective municipalities to be selected for 90 days until July 9, and they have also lowered the eligibility requirements to encourage more municipalities to apply.

For example, the original requirements stated that the “overall area” of the proposed site was required to be at least 2.2 million square meters in size in order for a municipality to be eligible to apply. But that requirement

has now been reduced to 1.3 million. The actual area for landfill use has also been lowered to 1 million square meters from 1.7 million.

Additionally, interested municipality authorities are required to acquire the consent of 50 percent of the residents living within 2 kilometers of the proposed site. The previous requirement was the consent of at least 70 percent of the residents.

Moreover, a prospective site is no longer required to be equipped with a waste sorting facility and capable of treating 4,000 tons or more per day. However, having a domestic waste treatment facility, with a capacity of 2,000 tons or more per day, and a waste-to-energy transition facility capable of handling 1,000 tons or more per day, are still required.

According to the original selection

requirements, the new dump site can also not be built on any site that has been designated by the government for protection, including: protected water supplies and streams, preserved ecological areas, cultural heritage sites, parks, and zones that are off-limits for military purposes.

The municipality where the new dump site is to be located will receive various incentives for its residents. Seoul Capital Area Landfill Site Management will allow the authorities in the selected municipality to used 20 percent of the landfill construction budget to build a new social welfare facility for local residents. The government of the selected municipality is also permitted to receive annually 20 percent of the total fees collected from dump trucks that use the landfill and spend them on raising the quality of life of residents living near the landfill site.

Seoul Capital Area Landfill Site Management will also provide to the selected municipality a special incentive of 250 billion won ($224 million), in addition to annual financial support amounting to 50 percent of the total fees collected from dump trucks that use the landfill. The local municipality can then invest these funds in order to improve the environment surrounding the dump site.

The environment ministry said Monday that they and the governments of the three regions expect a high turnout this time, as the eco-friendly nature of the new landfill project should minimize environmental problems in the surrounding areas and the incentives will help any interested municipality.