Environmental impact<\/p>\n
Your editorial of Nov. 4, 1996, Sarwono's lead, which called
\nfor strengthening of the Office of the State Minister of
\nEnvironment was right on target. We are currently working to
\nclarify that the authority for the environment rests with the
\nstate minister and with the agency he heads, the Environmental
\nImpact Management Agency (Bapedal). But unless this position is
\nelevated to a full ministry, other sectors will ignore the laws,
\nas they do today.<\/p>\n
It is easy to blame industry for the environmental problems
\nthat are destroying the health and quality of life for the people
\nof Indonesia. But it is within the power of the government now to
\ninsure that a proper Environmental Impact Analysis, including an
\noperating plan and monitoring plan, is completed before any
\nproject is begun. Instead, often the projects are up and
\noperating before any analysis is completed, and then compliance
\nwith the operating plan is ignored by the issuing sector or
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
As long as prime environmental responsibility is spread among
\nall the sectors, which have little interest in the environment
\nand no accountability to anyone, we will soon reach the day of a
\nmajor environmental disaster in this country. As you also pointed
\nout in your editorial, there is little understanding of the costs
\nof such damage. It does not have to be a Chernobyl to be a
\ndisaster. It can easily be the death of many people from
\ncumulative toxic discharges, daily poor health and its related
\ncosts, or the cost of cleanup of destroyed sites, which has
\nproven to be more expensive than not discharging at all.<\/p>\n
I hope that the general public will be more vocal in demanding
\nstrong environmental accountability. As you indicated, however,
\nenvironmental awareness is \"appallingly low\". This is especially
\ntrue here in Jakarta, where trucks, buses, and bajaj disregard
\nthe black clouds they are creating, and where people throw
\nplastic and paper on the ground for someone else to pick up.
\nFortunately, the rest of the country appears to better realize
\nthat they are also responsible for the environment around them.<\/p>\n
The time has come to stop passing blame from one sector to
\nanother, from government to industry and from industry to the
\ngeneral public. If a full environmental department with equal
\nauthority to other sectors could be created, there would be one
\nresponsible sector that could then be accountable to enforce the
\nenvironmental laws.<\/p>\n
JIM SCHERER<\/p>\n
Team Leader<\/p>\n
BAPEDAL Legal Mandate<\/p>\n
Compliance Project<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/environmental-impact-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }