Environmental officials investigate possible fuel leak at Camp Long
By Jim Lea, Osan bureau chief
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — U.S. military and South Korean
environmental officials are unable to substantiate a reported fuel leak at Camp Long.
The South Korean press reported Wednesday that residents in the area
of Wonju City, where the leak allegedly is occurring, say several ounces of JP8 fuel per
minute are leaking into the soil. An official of the Wonju environmental department said
only that the allegation is being investigated.
U.S. Forces Korea officials said Camp Long environmental experts have
taken soil samples both at the camp and at the site of the alleged leak, but no evidence
of a pipeline leak has been discovered.
“City officials have been made aware of eyewitness reports of a
local farmer’s tractor overturning in a field adjacent to Camp Long as a potential
source of the leak,” a USFK statement said.
The statement also quoted Col. Glenn DeSoto, commander of Area III,
the Army administrative area in which Camp Long is located, as saying, “We want to be
as open as possible with city officials and Wonju residents. We take environmental
concerns seriously and we will keep the public informed.”
On Monday, 11 Wonju officials were taken on a tour of Camp Long.
There have been fuel leaks at U.S. military facilities in South Korea
over the past two years. All were caused either by aged infrastructure at the bases or by
heavy rains. Cleanup operations were conducted immediately when the leaks were discovered.
USFK also has a project to replace and upgrade the fuel line
infrastructure at its bases.
Last year, the environmental group Green Korea United alleged that
fuel was leaking from Camp Eagle, a small U.S. helicopter facility located inside a South
Korean air base at Wonju.
USFK denied the accusation and gave national and municipal
environmental officials a tour of the facility and a detailed explanation of the
infrastructure upgrade.
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