국내 해양오염퇴적물 정화사업 추진체계 개선 방향 연구

A Study on the Improvement Directions of the Implementation System for Marine Contaminated Sediment Remediation Projects in Korea

Marine contaminated sediments pose long-term risks to ecosystems, fisheries, and human health, requiring systematic national management. This study analyzes Korea’s remediation projects, focusing on their procedural and institutional structures. The analysis shows that current practices depend on fragmented criteria for site designation, exclusive reliance on state funding, dredging-centered methods without feasibility studies, and weak monitoring and performance evaluation. Comparative review of international cases provides useful insights: the U.S. CERCLA enforces the polluter-pays principle and risk-based reviews; Germany’s BBodSchG establishes shared liability for landowners and managers; Japan’s Minamata Bay remediation project combined strong governmental leadership with resident monitoring; and Canada’s Randle Reef project institutionalized joint financing and stakeholder participation. Based on these findings, this study suggests five key directions for Korea: (1) risk-based, multi-criteria site designation; (2) diversified financing with stakeholder participation; (3) feasibility-based technology selection beyond dredging; (4) KPI-driven monitoring and feedback; and (5) institutionalized governance and transparency. These reforms are expected to shift the current state-dominated system toward a more sustainable and participatory framework for marine sediment remediation projects.