Improper waste disposal a 'tragedy waiting to happen'<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A researcher has warned people against the possible outbreak of
\nminamata disease in Indonesia due to the poor management of toxic
\nwaste water from mercury-using chemical companies.<\/p>\n
Setiyono from the Research and Technology Application Agency
\nrevealed that 90 percent of mercury waste water produced by
\nchemical companies is not accumulated at the only waste water
\ntreatment plant in Cileungsi, 20 kilometers southeast of the
\ncapital city.<\/p>\n
"Only ten percent of toxic waste water is treated at the plant
\nwhile the remaining 90 percent is treated by the companies that
\nproduce it (the waste), or directly dumped into the environment,"
\nhe said at a seminar on environmental management here on Monday.<\/p>\n
The plant at Cileungsi is the only treatment option for
\ncompanies producing toxic waste.<\/p>\n
"We are waiting for another Minamata tragedy to happen in
\nIndonesia," he said.<\/p>\n
More than 12,000 residents of the industrial area, Minamata,
\nin Japan, were declared to be victims of mercury toxic waste in
\n1968. Chemical companies in the area had been dumping mercury
\nwaste for 36 years.<\/p>\n
Around 1,400 of the patients -- who suffered from skin
\ndisease and serious pneumonia -- died after only days of medical
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
According to data, in Minamata, petrochemical and plastic
\nfactories dumped waste averaging at 750 kilograms per year in to
\nthe environment.<\/p>\n
"The disease caused patients to suffer from severe
\nconvulsions, loss of consciousness, repeated lapses into crazed
\nmental states and coma," he said, adding that such diseases had
\nalso broken out in other countries like China, Tanzania and
\nCanada.<\/p>\n
The Minamata tragedy resulted in the Japanese government
\nconstructing toxic waste water plants in the provinces.<\/p>\n
In 2002, the Cileungsi plant treated over 32,000 tons of
\nhazardous waste, an increase from about 30,000 tons in 2001,
\naccording to World Bank data.<\/p>\n
Petrochemical and plastic factories in Indonesia produced
\nmore than one million tons of toxic waste in 2000 and only
\n100,000 tons were treated in the Cileungsi plant.<\/p>\n
Setiyono also said it is no longer feasible for the plant to
\noperate in Cileungsi because it is a densely populated area and
\nthe law states that such a facility must be located in an
\nuninhabited area.<\/p>\n
Setiyono also urged the government to conduct periodic tests
\nin areas where chemical factories use mercury and to bring
\ncompanies that violate the law to justice.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/improper-waste-disposal-a-tragedy-waiting-to-happen-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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