Jeju Island strengthens verification of environmental impact assessment at 2nd airport... Immediately carry out designation as a key evaluation project

Designated as a key evaluation project immediately upon submission of the draft... Reviewed by 2 professional organizations → 4 or more

(Jeju = Yonhap News) Reporter Byun Ji-cheol = Jeju Island has decided to strengthen the environmental impact assessment verification of Jeju's second airport and collect opinions from residents before consent from the Jeju Provincial Council.

Jeju Island announced on the 8th that it has established three major policies to resolve the 11-year-old conflict over the second airport and guarantee residents' right to know and self-determination.

The three major policies include designating a key evaluation project immediately upon submission of the draft environmental impact assessment report, expanding cross-verification by professional organizations, and collecting opinions from residents prior to consent from the provincial council.

First, once the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport submits the draft environmental impact assessment report for the second airport, the province plans to immediately designate it as a key assessment project in accordance with the 'Provincial Environmental Impact Assessment Consultation Processing Guidelines' scheduled to be prepared this month.

Once designated as a key evaluation project, measures such as forming and operating an Environmental Impact Conflict Mediation Council and expanding consultations with specialized organizations will follow.

However, as the second airport is an issue involving not only environmental issues but also various conflicts, Jeju Island plans to entrust environmental impact conflict mediation to the tentative name 'Second Airport Conflict Mediation Council'.

Accordingly, the Second Airport Conflict Mediation Council will address comprehensive issues such as aviation demand, compensation for residents, and coexistence measures before the announcement of the draft environmental impact assessment report, and after the announcement of the draft, it will serve as the Environmental Impact Conflict Mediation Council and conduct environmental verification.

The province will also expand the review of environmental impact assessment agencies from two to more than four, including the Korea Environmental Research Institute and the Jeju Green Environment Support Center.

This is to enable various professional organizations to cross-verify major issues raised by the provincial community, such as the possibility of lava tube distribution, the impact of sumpgol and groundwater, and the risk of bird collisions.

The province also plans to complete the collection of residents' opinions before seeking the consent of the provincial council for the environmental impact assessment report for the second airport and officially deliver the results to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The method of collecting residents’ opinions has not yet been decided.

The province explained that it plans to discuss various measures, including joint surveys, public opinion polls, and referendums, at the Second Airport Conflict Mediation Council to decide on a method of collecting opinions by January next year, and then complete the collection of opinions by the first half of next year.

The province aims to prepare an operation plan for the 2nd Airport Conflict Mediation Council by next week, go through deliberation by the Social Agreement Committee, and then form the council by the end of this month.

The province plans to reflect the results and judgments of the residents' deliberation at the Second Airport Conflict Mediation Council in the entire environmental impact assessment process, including the draft and main draft of the environmental impact assessment, and to officially deliver it to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to request that it be reflected in the airport policy direction.

Lee Chang-heum, Jeju Island's vice-governor for climate and economy, said, "The second airport is an issue that depends on the future of Jeju and the lives of the residents," and added, "The provincial government will carry out the process to fully gather the will of the residents, and we will consult with the government to ensure that the results are reflected in the airport policy."