'Pollution caused by ignorance'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The top managers of many manufacturing companies
\nare either ignorant or misinformed about the pollution that their
\nplants are emitting, according to State Minister of Environment
\nSarwono Kusumaatmadja.<\/p>\n
\"Top managers are often the last to know that their company
\ncauses excessive pollution because the only information they
\nreceive are nice, pleasing reports from subordinates seeking to
\nwin praise,\" Sarwono told reporters on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The minister said he had reached this conclusion after
\nevaluating the results of the government's current Clean Rivers
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Such misinformation often led to political rifts between
\ncompanies and environmental law enforcers, he said.<\/p>\n
Most managers, he said, defend the data provided by their
\ncompanies' research divisions or consultants, never suspecting
\nthat it might be incorrect. \"And if there are complaints of
\npollution from people living around the plant, the managers will
\nthink that the issue has been politicized, and they will respond
\nwith a political attitude as well,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Clean Rivers program, launched in 1987 by then minister of
\nenvironment Emil Salim, aims to reduce the amount of pollutants
\ndischarged by factories into 27 rivers. Further rivers are to be
\nadded to the program in the future.<\/p>\n
Performance<\/p>\n
As part of the campaign, the government plans to rate
\nmanufacturing companies according to their performance in
\ncontrolling the waste they discharge into rivers.<\/p>\n
A total of 187 plants have so far been evaluated by the
\nEnvironmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal).<\/p>\n
Sarwono, who heads the agency, said that the government would
\nannounce the ratings today. \"We will announce the name of the
\nplants, and not the group of companies they are affiliated with,
\nbecause it is possible that one group may have both good, law-
\nabiding plants and bad ones.\"<\/p>\n
Nabiel Makarim, Deputy Chief for Bapedal, said the plants have
\nbeen selected from more than 1,000 which agreed to participate in
\nthe program. \"These plants have the appropriate data required for
\nthe evaluation, meaning that the information is assessed through
\nreliable, consistent methods,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nabiel said that sound Clean Rivers ratings would benefit
\ncompanies by boosting their reputation.<\/p>\n
\"Some companies will use the results of the Clean Rivers
\nprogram as an aid to introspection, because they may not have
\neven been aware of the real condition of their plants prior to
\nthe evaluation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sarwono said the program also encouraged the public to monitor
\nthe performance of industrial plants in their area.<\/p>\n
People should feel free to complain if a company is harming
\nthe environment, he said.<\/p>\n
Nabiel said that industries which failed to meet Clean Rivers
\nstandards would be given six months to comply. (pwn)<\/p>",
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