AMBASSADOR AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SPAR OVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001806

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: MARR SENV KS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SPAR OVER
REMEDIATION AT CLOSED U.S. BASES

REF: A. SEOUL 888


B. 05 SEOUL 4906

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Ambassador made an introductory call on Minister of
Environment Lee Chi-beom on May 25. After initial
pleasantries, the Ambassador highlighted strong U.S.
frustration that continued disagreement over environmental
remediation had stalled the return of closed bases. He noted
that the United States had put forward a reasonable plan that
went beyond the letter of our obligations under the Status of
Forces Agreement (SOFA). In response, Lee asserted that the
Agreed Minutes of 2001 stipulate consultations on the level
and method of remediation, and argued that it was important
to find a solution that would be persuasive for Korean public
opinion. Ambassador forcefully backed the proposal made by
U.S. Forces Korea and warned against "making the better the
enemy of the good." Both recognized that the issue would be
discussed in greater depth during the 8th Strategic Policy
Initiative (SPI) consultations scheduled for later in the day
in Hawaii. End Summary.

COOPERATION ON FTA, AIR POLLUTION, CLEAN DEVELOPMENT
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2. (U) Ambassador opened by recalling the long cooperation
between the USG and the Ministry of Environment (MOE). He
expressed appreciation for MOE's support during the March
visit of the lead negotiator of the environment chapter of
the proposed U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and for its
help with follow-on questions submitted by USTR. He asked
the Minister, who has been in office for only 6 weeks, about
his priorities.


3. (U) Lee identified his priorities as improving public
environmental health, for which a 10-year plan has been
adopted, and creating a system of consensus-building to avoid
social conflicts over environmental issues. He cited the
Saemangeum land reclamation project (Ref A) and the nuclear
waste repository siting issue (Ref B) as examples of the kind
of societal conflicts over environmental concerns that he
hopes to avoid in the future.


4. (U) Ambassador noted that the U.S. appreciates Korea's
participation in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate. Lee observed that Korea and the
United States share common interests expressed in the
Partnership, and mentioned as well the bilateral cooperation
between MOE and EPA in the Integrated Environmental
Strategies project concerned with air pollution in the Seoul
area. On the latter, Ambassador expressed the hope that the
data generated by the project would prove helpful to Korean
policymakers.

FRUSTRATION OVER ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION ISSUE
-------------- ---


5. (C) A more contentious issue needed to be raised, the
Ambassador said, because it was an important one for the
U.S.-Korea alliance. U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) were very
frustrated that disagreement over the issue of environmental
remediation at closed bases was impeding the agreed
realignment of U.S. forces and the return of valuable real
estate to the Korea people. The United States had put
forward a reasonable plan that went beyond our legal
obligations under the SOFA. Ambassador expressed the hope
that the new Minister would exert leadership to bring about a
solution on the basis of the generous U.S. proposal.


6. (C) Minister Lee replied that this was among the most
pressing issues he had faced in his six weeks in office. He
was very conscious that Korea and the U.S. had cooperated not
only on environmental issues but in the military alliance
that had built friendly relations over more than 50 years.
He therefore wanted a solution to the remediation issue that
would be smooth, reasonable, and appropriate. He said he had
studied the relevant agreements. He recalled that when USFK
was first established, there were no environmental
obligations or provisions. In 2001 an environmental
provision was added (the Agreed Minutes),which stipulates
consultations between the two allies on the level and method
of remediation. He said that Korea was not asking for

perfect remediation, but that consultation was needed. There
is a high degree of environmental awareness on the part of
the Korean public, which has led to the social conflicts he
had described earlier. If the two allies fail to find a
solution that is persuasive to the Korean public, the public
will blame both the Korean and U.S. governments in ways that
could be detrimental to the alliance. We need to approach
the issue with prudence, he argued, appealing for U.S. help
in finding a solution the public would understand and accept.


7. (C) Ambassador replied that the United States fully
understands the importance of public opinion in a democracy,
but also that you can't satisfy all the people all the time.
He recalled that in addition to the mandate for consultation,
the SOFA contained a standard for remediation -- "known
imminent substantial endangerment," or KISE. USFK forces and
families had lived and worked in the closed installations for
many years without endangering their health. The USFK
proposal already goes well beyond the required standard, the
Ambassador said, adding that asking for more is asking for
too much.


8. (C) Minister Lee reiterated his view that the agreement
under the SOFA made the issue of returning closed facilities
subject to consultation. He indicated that the level and
method of remediation should be jointly decided, and that a
more protective standard than KISE should be chosen.
Ambassador replied that USG lawyers would not agree with that
stance. He said the U.S. proposal, known as the LaPorte
proposal, includes pumping out groundwater contaminated by
fuel and would be easy to support to the public as reasonable
and effective.


9. (C) Lee interjected that, while General LaPorte had put
forward an important proposal on January 30, a later
communication from DUSD Lawless was a step backward, creating
an "unfortunate inconsistency." Ambassador countered that
DUSD Lawless had merely stated the LaPorte proposal in
writing, and that the USG had never intended to assume an
obligation beyond the steps outlined in the proposal. Lee
argued that six months of bioslurping would not be adequate
remediation because the soil is also contaminated and will
recontaminate the groundwater. The soil must also be
treated, he asserted.


10. (C) Ambassador advised the Minister against "making the
better the enemy of the good." The LaPorte proposal would
make a big contribution to cleaning up the closed facilities.
He recalled that, in returning closed bases, the United
States is not asking for any compensation for its investments
in infrastructure, unlike the case in Germany. The
Minister's position set an unreasonable benchmark, he said,
one that the U.S. military would not be prepared to meet.


11. (C) Lee responded that he understood that in the German
case, the expense of environmental remediation was subtracted
from the compensation required, indicating that it should be
clear that the responsibility for environmental remediation
lay with the United States. He said that two countries as
close as the United States and Korea should not negotiate the
matter like merchants, and hoped that as a superpower the
United States would be more generous.


12. (C) Ambassador replied that U.S. forces are in Korea to
guarantee Korea's security, a commitment that reflects great
American generosity. Both sides need to share the burden of
the changes in the alliance, but the U.S. side in this case
is being asked to assume too much of the burden. He alluded
to the cost of maintaining security at closed facilities, and
noted that time is running short for an agreed approach. The
U.S. military has already started to implement the LaPorte
proposal, he said. He warned that it could be damaging for
the alliance if there is no agreement on the basis of the
very reasonable U.S. proposal.
VERSHBOW