The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said it will conduct a joint oil-spill response drill Wednesday along the Nakdong River near Samunjin Bridge in Daegu, aimed at sharpening the government's ability to respond swiftly to large-scale water pollution incidents.

The exercise is linked to the Ulchi CPX running Tuesday through Friday. It is based on a scenario in which an enemy drone strike destroys Seongjudaegyo Bridge, causing a passing tanker truck to overturn and spill about 2,000 liters of diesel into the main channel of the Nakdong River.

Nine agencies are taking part, including the ministry and its affiliates — the Daegu Regional Environment Office, Korea Environment Corporation and Nakdong River Water Environment Center — as well as Daegu Metropolitan City, Dalseong-gun, Dalseo Fire Station, Korea Rural Community Corporation and the Second Operations Command.

Participating agencies will carry out step-by-step tasks simulating an actual accident: disseminating the emergency situation, conducting initial response operations such as search and rescue and deploying oil booms and absorbent pads, establishing containment lines, and collecting and analyzing water samples.

The ministry said it plans to continue strengthening its cooperative framework with relevant agencies for responding to water pollution emergencies through drills such as this one.

"The Nakdong River is a primary drinking water source for residents of the Yeongnam region, making it critically important to maintain a thorough pollution-response posture in emergencies," said Kim Eun-gyeong, the ministry's water environment policy director. "Through this joint drill linked to the Ulchi CPX, we will further solidify cooperation among relevant agencies and work to protect a clean and safe water environment that the public can trust."

Map showing the drill site location and exercise scenario [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]
Map showing the drill site location and exercise scenario [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]

thlee@heraldcorp.com