Indonesia plans legislation against waste imports<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is currently drafting a
\nlegislation to bar any trade of toxic and hazardous waste within
\nits waters.<\/p>\n
The move tallies with the new version of the Basel Convention
\non the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes,
\nwhich was upgraded in Geneva last month, State Minister of
\nEnvironment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
The drafters are now studying the most effective way to
\ndealing with violations of the conventions, including the kind of
\nsanctions that should be meted out, Sarwono said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has already barred imports of plastic wastes and
\nmost kind of hazardous waste since 1992, but because it is only
\nruled by a decree by the trade minister, enforcement is lacking.<\/p>\n
Some forms of toxic waste, including used batteries, remain
\nlegal to fuel a domestic recycling industry. Even these are
\nsupposed to be phased out completely by the Basel Convention's
\nDec. 31, 1997 deadline, he said.<\/p>\n
The government has also been left with 99 containers filled
\nwith imported plastic waste and hazardous materials which have
\nbeen confiscated since the ban, not knowing what to do with them
\nbecause their countries of origins have refused to take them
\nback. The importers have also not been punished in the absence of
\nlegislation that covers their offense.<\/p>\n
The Basel Convention rules that trade of all kinds of
\nhazardous waste must cease as of Jan. 1, 1998.<\/p>\n
Indonesian environmentalists are skeptical about the
\neffectiveness of the convention, given that most industrialized
\ncountries, led by the United States, have not signed the pact.<\/p>\n
But Sarwono promised that the government means business.<\/p>\n
The Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) will
\ncooperate with the Customs office to prevent the illegal import
\nof waste, he said.<\/p>\n
Bapedal officials blamed the lax customs laws for the
\ncontinuing violations of the 1992 ban on toxic waste imports.<\/p>\n
Sarwono said importers have abused the facility granted by the
\nCustoms Agency, which lets containers with values of less than
\n$5,000 uninspected.<\/p>\n
Abuse<\/p>\n
\"Many parties have abused this exemption by faking the
\nmanifest. The containers contain hazardous and non-hazardous
\nwastes while the manifest says they contain small articles,\"
\nSarwono said.<\/p>\n
Bapedal also plans a mechanism to encourage members of the
\npublic to notify the authorities of any incoming shipment with
\nhazardous waste to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It will also arrange cooperation with police and government
\nagencies to counter such shipments.<\/p>\n
To cope with the hazardous waste produced in this country,
\nthe government has licensed private companies to build waste
\nrecycling centers close to industrial areas.<\/p>\n
The first such plant in Cileungsi, Bogor, started operating in
\nJanuary, Sarwono said, adding that dozens of industries are
\nalready sending their waste there.<\/p>\n
The Cileungsi plant has processed 2,687 tons of waste since it
\nbegan.<\/p>\n
Feasibility studies are now being carried out for setting
\nsimilar plants in Gresik (East Java), Lhok Seumawe (Aceh), and
\nSemboja (East Kalimantan).<\/p>\n
Sarwono alleged that waste trade business is organized by
\ninternational syndicates and that citizens in developing
\ncountries are paid $22 for each kilogram of waste imported.<\/p>\n
The industrialized countries continue to export their waste to
\ndeveloping countries because they found it is the cheapest way to
\nsolve their environmental problems.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. can only build 1,000 final dumps from the 8,000
\nsuggested while Germany cannot afford DM 300 billion to cope with
\nthe waste.\" (prs)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-plans-legislation-against-waste-imports-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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