176 North Sumatra firms declared toxic: Agency<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra Environmental Impact Management Agency
\n(Bapedalda) has discovered that at least 176 companies in the
\nprovince produced toxic wastes.<\/p>\n
Industries found producing the most toxic wastes are located
\nin the Deli Serdang regency. Among the 77 industries are glass
\nmanufacturer PT Kedaung, jeans bleaching company PT Pancaran
\nCahaya Fajar, steel producer PT Tambah Mas Djaya and detergent
\nproducer PT Juli Subur Fuddin.<\/p>\n
Medan municipality is placed second, where 71 industries such
\nas textile producer PT Aribhawana Utama, chemical producer PT
\nPasifik Chemical and aluminum smelter PT Sinar Raya Inti Baru
\nwere found to produce toxic byproducts.<\/p>\n
Third is Langkat regency with 11 industries, followed by
\nLabuhan Batu with four, North and Central Tapanuli with three
\neach, South Tapanuli and Asahan with two each, and Simalungun and
\nSibolga with one each.<\/p>\n
Chief of North Sumatra's Bapedalda, Syamsul Arifin, said on
\nMonday that the toxic content created by the industries were of
\nvarious kinds, including mercury, cyanide, sulfide, phenols,
\nheavy metals, ammonia, nitrate, acid residue and fluoride.<\/p>\n
He said mercury had been detected in at least two gas plants
\nin Langkat regency, namely the Crude Distilling processing plant
\nand an asphalt processing plant, each with production capacities
\nranging from 1.13 tons to 163.45 tons per day.<\/p>\n
According to Syamsul, his office had given them warnings that
\nthey had to recycle the toxic waste so that it would not harm the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
If the toxic waste exceeded the pollution threshold, the
\ngovernment will not hesitate to revoke their business permits, he
\nsaid during a discussion with Commission D on development affairs
\nat the North Sumatra legislative council.<\/p>\n
Vice speaker of Commission D, Bustinursyah, who presided over
\nthe meeting, said he would form a caucus to overcome the problem
\ninvolving officials from Bapelda, the legislature, environmental
\norganizations and students with an interest in environmental
\nissues.<\/p>\n
Bustinursyah said the task of the caucus was to investigate
\nany damage that may have been done by the companies, and so that
\ncouncil members would not have any doubts on the results assessed
\nby Bapelda.<\/p>\n
\"The investigations are useful to know how pollution levels
\nare produced by the companies. If results show levels have
\nexceeded the standard, we will recommend that the government
\nimmediately revoke their operation licenses,\" Bustinursyah told
\nthe Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/176-north-sumatra-firms-declared-toxic-agency-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}