Paddies skirt abandoned mines
About 152,000 kg of rice harvested from paddies bordering abandoned mines in Gyeonggi Province was incinerated, as the rice was found to have lead levels beyond safe standards. The problem may not be an isolated incident: out of 1,082 abandoned or suspended mines nationwide, 396, or 37 percent, are seriously contaminated. On October 26, the Gyeonggi provincial government said it has incinerated the contaminated rice harvested near the abandoned Gahak and Sambo mines because the rice contained lead with over 0.2 per million parts (ppm), the maximum safe level by South Korean environmental standards. The provincial government has already collected 24,000 kg of rice from paddies adjacent to the Gahak mine, and the remaining 3,000 kg will be incinerated in early November after being harvested. The provincial government has already incinerated 125,000 kg of rice harvested from paddies fringing the Sambo mine."We bought the rice from the farmers for 130 million won (US$135,000), and then incinerate it at a cost of 20 million won," an official said, adding that no contaminated rice had made it onto the market. Separately, the provincial government plans to begin an investigation into whether groundwater is contaminated in the areas. According to a report by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, submitted to Rep. Kim Ki-hyun for a parliamentary audit, heavy metals such as lead, zinc, and arsenic were detected in 396 mines at a level that could harm humans. In particular, six milligrams of arsenic were detected from one kilogram of collected stone from the abandoned Boseong mine in Gyeonggi Province, 1,341 times more than environmentally-safe levels. Contamination was also reported in land and water near mines nationwide. At a rice paddy flanking a mine in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, lead was detected at levels 60 times greater than environmental safety standards allow. In water found in a mine in Wangju, North Jeolla Province, aluminum was detected at nine times the safe level.
