Reappearance of one boreal digging frog, endangered species pauses apartment construction

연합뉴스 / 2022-07-18 15:54:10

▲ This photo, provided by Incheon city, shows the view map for Dream Up Valley. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) --The youth housing construction project in Incheon, has been suspended due the reappearance of the endangered species, Boreal digging frog.

According to Incheon city on Monday, the city planned to spend 72.7 billion won by July next year to create the Dream Up Valley with a support housing of 158 places for youths trying to do start-ups along with youth start-up support facilities in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu.

However, on April 26, the construction was halted when one boreal digging frog, a class 2 endangered wildlife, was identified at the project site. Along with that, contaminated soil was also found during the soundproofing construction.

Previously, it has been said that 198 boreal digging frogs inhabited in the site. However, all these frogs were relocated to an alternative habitat in Incheon Grand Park.

The city only decided to resume its construction after relocating the boreal digging frog and after the contaminated soil was cleaned.

As it requires expert planning and service to relocate the boreal digging frog, when the construction will resume is still unclear.

Cleaning up the contaminated soil is also expected to take a considerable amount of time as the city and the private companies that donated the land have different positions over the designation of the person responsible for the purification.

Michuhol-gu, the subject of the administrative order on soil pollution remediation, decided to carry out the pollution remediation procedure after a detailed investigation and designation of a person in charge.

"It is thought that the boreal digging frog have been reintroduced as they inhabit near the project site," said an official from Incheon city. "As it is planned to proceed the migration of the boreal digging from along with together with the soil contamination purification, when the construction will be resumed is still unclear."

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

(END)