Mislabeling caused explosion: Investigation<\/p>\n
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
An internal investigation into the explosion at a warehouse owned
\nby Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri (PPLi) in Klapa Nunggal
\nfacility, Bogor, the country's largest hazardous waste processing
\nfirm, revealed the mislabeling of toxic materials as the cause.<\/p>\n
The letter signed by PPLi president director Edward A.
\nCorcoran on April 16, which the Bogor Council received on Monday,
\nstated \"human error as the cause, as PPLi personnel failed to
\ndetect mislabeled materials stored at the facility in Narogong
\nvillage, Nambo subdistrict\".<\/p>\n
Corcoran also stated in the letter that the result of
\ninvestigation on the March 9 explosion had been submitted to the
\nOffice of the State Minister for the Environment, while a regular
\ninspection will be conducted under the supervision of the office
\nof the state minister and Bogor environmental management agency.<\/p>\n
\"PPLi is designed to anticipate the worst possibility of
\nenvironmental damage during an emergency,\" the letter stated.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Bogor Council's Commission C on economics, Dedi
\nMulyadi, told a briefing on Monday that the councillors would
\nstill insist on having a meeting with PPLi executives.<\/p>\n
\"We need to know what kind of toxic material exploded at that
\ntime, as it was not stated in the letter, because it certainly
\npolluted the air and water used by the residents, the impact of
\nwhich may be felt in the next 20 years,\" Dedi said.<\/p>\n
Just a few hours after the fire, which was contained after six
\nhours, PPLi issued a statement saying no dangerous chemicals had
\nbeen released into the environment as a result of the fire.<\/p>\n
The fire did not cause any injuries or disrupt the company's
\noperations.<\/p>\n
However, local residents, who lived 30 meters from the PPLi
\nfacility, said that the river and water in their wells had turned
\nblack after the fire.<\/p>\n
\"The councillors want the government to provide a 300-meter
\nbuffer zone to protect the residents,\" Dedi added.<\/p>\n
PPLi runs the largest waste disposal and hazardous material
\nfacility in Indonesia, processing about 60,000 tons of industrial
\nwaste from 800 companies across Indonesia last year, including
\nmining giant Newmont Minahasa in North Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
PPLi is controlled by Modern Asia Environmental Holdings,
\nwhich also owns hazardous material processing facilities in
\nThailand.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mislabeling-caused-explosion-investigation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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