By According to the Hankyoreh the US is bickering with Korean investigators in regards to taking soil samples from Camp Carroll:
Conflict has reportedly erupted between United States Forces Korea (USFK) and South Korean government over the method for conducting an investigation on the U.S. military base at Camp Carroll in Waegwan, North Gyeongsang Province, the suspected site of Agent Orange burial. USFK is insisting on using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), while the South Korean government is demanding sampling of soil and underground water. [Hankyoreh via the Marmot's Hole]
However, according to the Stars & Stripes USFK has taken soil samples from Camp Carroll and vows to clean up any contamination:
Sarah Woo, chief of the environmental section of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District, shows reporters and local officials Thursday the ground-penetrating radar that will be used at Camp Carroll, South Korea. The radar will be used to search for barrels of Agent Orange allegedly buried at the camp. The radar can locate objects underground and determine change in soil density that could indicate where previous digging occurred. ASHLEY ROWLAND/STARS AND STRIPES
The U.S. and South Korea began ground and water testing at Camp Carroll on Thursday, an early step in determining whether Agent Orange was buried at the Daegu-area base in the late 1970s as claimed by a handful of veterans once stationed there.
“I want to make clear: if there’s any health risk, we will clean that up,” Lt. Gen. John Johnson, commander of the 8th Army, said during a press briefing at the base. The results of ground-penetrating radar tests and water sampling around a broad area near the base’s helipad will be used to focus the investigation on specific areas if any contamination or unusual objects are found, he said.
Meanwhile, U.S. military officials said they expanded their records search in hopes of determining whether barrels of chemicals that were removed from the ground in 1979 were sent to stateside storage or disposal facilities. [Stars & Stripes]
I can understand USFK’s concerns for being blamed for contamination that has nothing to do with Camp Carroll, but it appears they worked something out with the Korean government because I think it is imperative that soil samples be taken and tested by both the US & ROK authorities simply to build the creditability of the investigation with the Korean public.
12:31 pm on June 3rd, 2011 1
GI Korea,
My first post on your site. Awesome blog, I enjoy all the stories and knowledgable bloggers.
I agree with you about the soil sampling. We’ve got to build credibility with the Korea Govt and, most importantly, the public. Any signs of cover up will bring this to a boil (if it isn’t already).
I’m PCSing to Korea later this month and hope this doesn’t turn too ugly for USFK.
3:57 pm on June 3rd, 2011 2
Maybe the US wants to see what in the ground first before they start drilling. Nothing like punching through a undocumented powerline/ water-main/communications, I seen this happen so many times here… Plus if there was barrels of some sort, you wouldn’t want to drill through them.. But in the end samples must be taken also.
5:57 pm on June 3rd, 2011 3
If not this – there will always be something US gov’t or USFK-related that has the potential of turning ugly. It’s not that USFK is such a bad guest – it’s because there are radical NGO leaders who literally make a living by making the US and USFK look bad. They have to have an “issue” in order to foment anti-US/USFK feelings – so they dig up whatever they can to use for this purpose.
9:14 pm on June 3rd, 2011 4
The reality that nobody has addressed yet is that, after decades and decades of use and abuse, the soil under every USFK base is “contaminated”.
USFK rightfully wants to first show that nothing unusual is buried and let that be the leading story.
The anti-USFK faction wants to be able to find the elevated trace chemicals and scream “contamination”… leaving the impression the place is littered with intentionally dumped toxins.
USFK is doing better than the 2002 schoolgirl incident… but they had better get their PR act together on this one… as it is an uphill battle already.
Among other preparatory steps, they need to start laying the groundwork in the Public Mind for an understanding of normal soil contamination on Korean bases and industrial areas… so when their numbers are released, there is no unnecessary shock and outrage.
But I doubt they have their act anywhere near that close together.
1:22 am on June 4th, 2011 5
@CH: I hate to sound cynical…but…
I really don’t think it’ll make much difference. The anti-American factions (includes some of the main stream Korean media) are going to spin their reports – what they say will be received as the gospel truth – USFK will have virtually no way to rebut anything that the Korean side says – and the actual facts on the ground (or “in” the ground as it were) will mean nothing.
And we can point out until we’re blue in the face that just about every other piece of developed land in Korea is just as polluted – but that will also not be heard.
2:08 am on June 4th, 2011 6
Au contraire, that is usually one of the first things I point out, and did too, if not in this thread than in another related to it.
You take soil samples basically anywhere in Korea, except on the mountain slopes, and you’re going to find a pollution problem.
But, I think much of this is out of USFK’s hands – PR wise. I do think they MUST do everything possible to get out the facts and counter any misinformation that starts to gain traction among the viewing masses, but, again, in research I’ve done on this, I’ve seen Stars and Stripes detail the effort made to bring the Korean media on board – and even bringing in the anti-US group leaders and people from the local community – only to have it ignored by the Korean press.
In short, unless USFK takes over the Korean TV news and newspapers, its ability to shape the environment is limited.
It all depends on if the Korean media wants to exploit this and if the Korean masses are receptive to an upswing in anti-US activity.
We haven’t seen anything since Cows Gone Wild! and that was a good bit ago…(which is the primary reason I took down my site).
5:30 am on June 4th, 2011 7
@1 – Pack, welcome to the site and I am glad you are enjoying it. Also enjoy your tour to Korea, hopefully it will be a good assignment for you.
5:49 am on June 4th, 2011 8
@5, that is why I have always thought that USFK needs to do more to send Korean speaking US military officials to do interviews with the Korean media. They could explain on air what normal soil contamination levels are in Korea and what to expect from soil samples taken from Camp Carroll.
That was one of my frustrations with 2002, USFK would publish facts on the US embassy website, S&S, etc. but the average Korean will never see those. USFK has to engage the Korean media in an effective way because relying primarily on press releases is a sure way to allow the anti-US groups to shape the perceptions of the Korean public over this issue.
6:21 am on June 4th, 2011 9
But, in most of the cases I’ve looked at, including the 2002 accident, USFK has done more than issue press releases. They do bring the Korean media on base and hold press conferences with translations, and the big Korean media have plenty of English speakers who can cover a press conference anyway. I’ve read where press releases and handouts to locals and others brought to the press conferences were in Korean and English.
Even if USFK uses Korean speakers, they do not control what gets on air or printed.
This is far beyond a language barrier.
When the Korean press has wanted to jin up anti-USFK sentiment, it goes out of its way NOT to report what USFK has told them.
I mean, on more than one of these pollution cases, USFK had journalists and locals bused around to observe the collection of samples or tour areas effected areas or clean efforts and whatnot, and none of it got into the Korean press. Instead, in the days after, the primary quotes were from the Korean anti-US groups and Korean politicans jumping on their bandwagon.
Going through the Korean press has not worked in the past.
Will it work now? I don’t know. Maybe times have changed…
7:34 am on June 5th, 2011 10
#2,
I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you do raise some good points about why the USFK would want to use the ground penetrating radar (makes total sense if that’s why they want to use the radar…but, yes, soil samples should be taken).
I’m frankly not surprised that the local media is spinning this as a sign that they are trying to cover things up.
PS. I’ve collected soil samples many times, enough to know that I wouldn’t let anyone in the media come anywhere near the site or the samples but for a very brief one time guided tour (and that’s only after preliminary tests have shown the site to be safe). I would want to eliminate any chances that the site becomes contaminated (accidentally or through foul play) and that the samples themselves become contaminated or are tampered with.
7:43 am on June 5th, 2011 11
#9,
The few Korean reporters I’ve personally dealt with have left me with the impression that journalistic integrity is somewhat lacking here.