'50% of paper, pulp plants polluters'

JAKARTA (JP): The Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) has reported that half of the 62 paper and pulp plants here routinely pollute the environment.

Deputy chairman Nabiel Makarim told a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) here yesterday that "50 percent of all pulp and paper producers pollute the environment, while the remaining number can be categorized as 'good'".

He failed to name the companies, but said that his office made the evaluation through its Business Performance Rating and Clean River programs.

Currently there are 62 pulp and paper producers operating in Indonesia with a total installed capacity of 2.9 million tons for pulp and 3.8 million tons for paper.

During the same hearing presided over by M. Muas, State Minister for the Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said that 121 factories have been found to be polluting the environment because their waste-management processes are substandard.

He did not name the delinquent companies, but he did mention again the names of the five factories that have won awards for successful waste management. They are PT Pindad in Bandung, PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper Corp., PT Tifico and PT Kumafiber, all in Tangerang, and PT Cheil Samsung Astra in Pasuruan, East Java.

Sarwono said his office would give the recalcitrant companies until December to improve their record. Otherwise, "we will reveal the names of all the plants to the public" then, he warned.

During the hearing, Sarwono also complained about some high- profile company owners who talk a lot about their concern for the environment while their factories keep on polluting.

"They are famous people, owners of big groups of companies, members of the Chamber of Commerce," he was quoted by Antara.

"Those people may actively participate in various social and political organizations and become community leaders, but their 'homes' are not in order," Sarwono added. (swe)