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(LEAD) Lawmakers begin probe into alleged pollution of returned U.S. bases
SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- Ten lawmakers here on Thursday began an inspection of three U.S. military bases recently returned to South Korea as part of efforts to shed light on allegations that they remain seriously contaminated.
The members of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee, accompanied by environmental experts, will look into the environmental conditions at Camp Edwards and Camp Howze in Paju and Camp Kyle in Uijeongbu, all of which are north of Seoul.
"So far, the government has failed the National Assembly and the people, lying to them that there will be additional negotiations about environmental pollution," Rep. Woo Won-shik said in a joint statement with other members.
The South Korean government has banned private inspections of the bases and withheld the results of its own environmental study since an agreement on the turnover was reached in 2004 between the two governments. The closed-door turnover process spurred criticism among local experts and activists that toxic wastes were not being cleaned up properly.
The inspection of soil and water is to prepare for a two-day hearing starting on June 25 on the issue to be attended by Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and Environment Minister Lee Chi-beom.
The Status of Forces Agreement requires the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to clean up contamination that poses a "known, imminent, and substantial endangerment to human health" before handing over land and facilities it used for decades.
In an auxiliary deal, the USFK also agreed to remove underground storage tanks, lead and copper left at former firing ranges and air-conditioning chemicals.
Environmental activists claim the USFK did not take appropriate measures for decontamination, while the government said it couldn't further delay the agreed-upon return of the U.S. bases.
The USFK has given back 23 bases this year in its campaign to restructure its 29,500 troops here. It plans to return 36 other bases by 2011.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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