Pollution blacklist lacks power: Environment activist<\/p>\n
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya<\/p>\n
An environmental activist lashed out on Thursday at State
\nMinister of the Environment Rachmat Nadi Witoelar
\nKartaadipoetra's statement on five firms on the environment
\noffice's pollution blacklist, saying it lacked power without the
\ninvolvement of East Java Governor Imam Utomo.<\/p>\n
Chairman of nongovernmental organization ECOTON, Prigi
\nArisanti, said the governor's involvement was essential as he was
\none of the commissioners of the blacklisted companies PT Surabaya
\nIndustri Estate Rungkut (SIER) and PT Pasuruan Industri Estate
\nRembang (PIER).<\/p>\n
\"The East Java governor is the commissioner of PT SIER and PT
\nPIER, so how can the East Java Environmental Impact Management
\nAgency (Bapedal) dare to take action,\" Prigi said.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Rachmat blacklisted eight companies among a
\ngroup of 42 polluters. Five of the eight are private companies in
\nSidoardjo, East Java: PT SIER, PT PIER, PT Hanil Jaya Metal Baja,
\nPT Ispatindo and PT Jatim Taman Steel.<\/p>\n
The other three are state-owned enterprises: paper producer PT
\nKertas Padalarang and sugar factory Pabrik Gula Jati Tujuh, in
\nWest Java; and paper producer PT Kertas Blabat in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Prigi said the state minister's data showed the blacklisted
\ncompanies had caused serious environmental damage. PT SIER, for
\ninstance, allegedly polluted fish ponds in Wonorejo area in
\nSurabaya, he added.<\/p>\n
\"But those companies even made Bapedal one of their advisors
\non waste management, which is strange,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said the state minister did not mention paper
\nproducers in East Java, most of whom were allegedly polluters.<\/p>\n
Based on ECOTON's data, paper producers PT Suparma in
\nSurabaya, PT Surabaya Agung Kertas in Surabaya, PT Adi Prima
\nSuraprinta in Gresik, PT Tjiwi Kimia in Sidoarjo and PT Surabaya
\nMeccabot in Surabaya are also polluters, he said.<\/p>\n
Head of Bapedal's office in East Java Hartoyo, said his office
\nis still processing cases involving polluter companies in
\ncooperation with the Surabaya Police.<\/p>\n
\"We will process the cases, while Bapedal will contact the
\nSurabaya Police for their report on the investigation of the
\ncompanies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Responding to pollution allegations concerning PT SIER, he
\nsaid his office believed the company was a major culprit,
\npolluting the environment with solid waste produced by companies
\nunder PT SIER.<\/p>\n
\"Solid waste produced by companies under PT SIER is polluting
\nthe environment,\" Hartoyo said, adding that Bapedal is currently
\nconducting an analysis on the matter.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, three other private companies included on the
\nblacklist remained unwilling to comment.<\/p>\n
Only PT SIER and PT PIER are considering taking legal action
\nover the minister's statement.<\/p>\n
\"We're still considering whether to sue the minister over the
\nreleased data,\" Wiji Sudarmi, head of the companies' general
\naffairs division, said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
She said the companies had public support.<\/p>\n
\"Our relations with members of the community and
\nbusinesspeople are good, so we're not worried (about the
\nstatement),\" Wiji said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pollution-blacklist-lacks-power-environment-activist-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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