Seoul City said Tuesday that it will begin analyzing soil and groundwater in areas near the US military base in central Seoul over alleged oil leaks, following the kickoff of the US 8th Army’s relocation. 

The investigation is set to begin this month in a joint effort with Rep. Song Ok-joo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. It will focus on determining whether soil and groundwater have been polluted, the city said. Samples for analysis will be extracted from six of nine sites around the military base in Yongsan, including the main post and retreat center.

The announcement came as the relocation program kicks into high gear. Early last month, the 8th Army unveiled its new headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, putting an end to its 64-year deployment at the heart of Seoul since the end of the Korean War. 

“We decided to conduct an investigation before the USFK completes its relocation by the year’s end, because the source of the pollutants near the US military base remains unknown, with some parts around the base remaining uninvestigated,” said Kwon Ki-wook, chief of the city’s water circulation safety bureau.

Since 2001 when an oil spill was first reported near Noksapyeong Station, the US military has rejected requests by the city government and civic groups to run a comprehensive investigation. 

The military cited that the US is not required to reveal any information about such contamination, according to the Status of Forces Agreement. It also refused to disclose the details of its cleanup efforts. According to SOFA, the US military is only responsible for contamination within its camp. 

Last year, the city government’s internal inspection showed that the average benzene concentration near Yongsan Garrison recorded 8.811 milligrams per liter, approximately 587 times higher than the permissible level of 0.015 milligrams per liter. 

Benzene, a Group 1 carcinogen classified by the World Health Organization, was found at 10 spots around the camp. The city has reportedly spent over 7.8 billion won ($6.9 million) in cleanup efforts over a decade.

Civic groups claimed the actual contamination level is well above the currently recognized figure, criticizing the US Army for its lack of transparency and for dodging responsibility over environmental pollution around the base. 

Activists have also voiced concerns over the health effects of exposure to the contamination. Following the relocation of key military bases in central Seoul to Pyeongtaek by 2018, the city plans to turn the area into a public park.

The city government will request the USFK jointly conduct a comprehensive investigation if the inspection results show the concentration of toxic chemicals is above average levels, the city said. The results are to be released in September.

Last year, the Environment Ministry conducted inspections on soil and underground water contamination near Yongsan Garrison on three occasions and released one of three results, following the Supreme Court’s order in December to disclose its inspection result. The level of pollution from 14 sites inside the military base surpassed the average level of Benzene concentration, the result showed.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)