About one year ago in Hungary, there happened a toxic spill from a sludge reservoir. Mal was a company operating an alumina plant with a sludge reservoir. The company carelessly managed and the government agencies carelessly supervised, so that this event was made. In other words, combined blunders of the government and a company.

Corrosive red mud was said to claim 10 people and 350 houses. The Hungarian government spent about $165 million in Herculean toxic spill cleanup and reconstruction. Scars of the toxic spill are not still washed off; Hungarians who lost their homes and family members are trying to return to their normal life; and even now, victims and their family members are not erasing psychological and emotional trauma.

After the accident, Mal has been using a different technology. However, the technology applied, contrary to expectations, is increasing dust pollution and carbon dioxides, releasing 35,000 extra tons per year. For the poisoned land, some residents are exploring the idea of growing energy crops instead.

Through this case, we can realize that we should be harder on supervision and that we need to prepare for these sorts of man-made disasters before they happen. In Korea, chemical defoliants buried by the U. S. army stationed in S. Korea are becoming a sensitive issue. The U. S. and S. Korea in cooperation investigated in the defoliants buried in Camp Carol, but a satisfactory result is not made. If we don't want to repeat such a case as toxic spills in Hungary, I think S. Korea and the U. S. need to make thorough investigation.

Considering the reality that the U. S. is not very active at investigation, I believe we should make sure that this kind of event is not made. Prevention is more important than taking a post-countermeasure. Clean-up efforts require astronomical budgets and Herculean efforts, but the most significant issue is that we cannot restore the environment to its original status. If Mother Nature is destroyed, she cannot provide land where we can live and air that we breathe in. We must keep in mind that Mother Nature is an unrecoverable life when we destroy it once. Despite this disputable fact, even now, we think development is more important than conservation. What is more important? Saving and conserving the planet? Or trying to have more material happiness?