Samsung cleared by environmental agency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Environment Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja disclosed yesterday that PT Cheil Samsung Indonesia
\nin Pasuruan, East Java, was officially cleared of charges of
\npolluting a nearby river as recently as Nov. 9.<\/p>\n
The company, which produces monosodium glutamate, shut down
\nindefinitely beginning last week because of violent actions by
\nfarmers who accused it of polluting their fish and shrimp ponds.
\nPolice said 63 people were arrested for rioting over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Sarwono reported the incidents to President
\nSoeharto, who inaugurated the $87.7 million Cheil Samsung plant
\nin 1989.<\/p>\n
Sarwono explained that the company voluntarily requested
\nenvironmental auditing by various government agencies. The most
\nrecent study was done by the Environmental Impact Management
\nAgency.<\/p>\n
None of the studies found any irregularities in the way the
\nplant discharged its waste, Sarwono said.<\/p>\n
He has sent another team to check whether there have been any
\nchanges since the last study, and to detect the origins of the
\nwaste polluting the farmers' ponds.<\/p>\n
\"Let's wait for the results of the new field study,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sarwono pointed out that the East Java provincial
\nadministration ranks the best in managing the nation's ongoing
\nriver clean-up projects.<\/p>\n
He said he suspected that the quality of water in Pasuruan, as
\nin most other areas along the northern coast of Java, is poor. He
\nspeculated that the pollution could have originated either from
\nindustry, households or agriculture.<\/p>\n
The minister also called for a thorough investigation into the
\nviolent rampage, specially in view of the fact that the rioting
\nwas not done by the local people, but by people from out of town,
\nincluding \"college people\" from Malang.<\/p>\n
\"I have no more comment, other than that there has got to be a
\nfull investigation so that the government and the people know
\nthat the brutal and destructive actions were carried out by
\npeople who have their own agenda,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the Samsung Group, a giant Korean
\nconglomerate, denied yesterday having any relations with Cheil
\nSamsung Indonesia, saying that it divested all of its equity in
\nthe company following management restructuring in 1992.<\/p>\n
\"Samsung Group is not responsible for the management and
\noperations of PT Cheil Samsung Indonesia, which in the recent
\ndays has been the subject of public demonstration in Pasuruan,\"
\nSamsung's Asia headquarters in Singapore, announced.<\/p>\n
Cheil Foods and Chemicals was a subsidiary of Samsung when the
\nPasuruan plant was established in 1989, but the 1992
\nrestructuring led to their separation. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/samsung-cleared-by-environmental-agency-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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