Bedugul power project faces strong criticism

JAKARTA (JP): A senior environmental expert criticized yesterday the government's decision to allow the development of a geothermal power plant in Bedugul, Bali, saying the power project would have a negative impact on the environment.

Emil Salim, a former minister of environment, said the geothermal power plant violated the environmental law which prohibits investors from opening a business project in a natural reserve area such as Bedugul.

Bedugul is home to rare bird species such as the Jalak Bali and has become a natural reserve area.

"If a project like this continues to be developed, I'm afraid our environment will soon deteriorate," he said.

He said the geothermal power plant in Bedugul would have a bad impact on birds and other rare species in the Bedugul vicinity.

"Even if the area holds gold or diamond or oil reserves, we should not automatically turn the area into business," he said.

Emil, who ended his ministerial post in 1993, said he and former minister of mines and energy Subroto turned down the proposal to build the Bedugul power plant when they were still active ministers.

"We agreed at the time not to develop a geothermal power plant in Bedugul... but I do not understand why this project received an approval later on," he said after attending a seminar on Opportunities and Challenges of Doing Business in the Global Market.

He blamed the government for allowing PT Pertamina and Bali Energy Ltd to develop the project.

"The people to blame are those who gave the license to develop the project and those who do not protect the area from being developed," Emil said.

Last year, state-owned PT Pertamina and Bali Energy Ltd signed a contract to develop two 55-megawatt power plant stations under a joint operation contract.

Under a 42-year contract, both companies will eventually build, operate and own eight geothermal power stations with a combined total capacity of 400 megawatts.

Emil said yesterday that of 145 million hectares of forest in Indonesia, about 48 million hectares including the Bedugul area have been designated for park and conservation areas.

"The size of the conservation area is so small... why do they dare to take this?" he asked.

Subroto, a former minister of mines and energy, however, refused yesterday to comment on the controversial Bedugul power project.

"I am not a minister anymore. I do not have the rights to comment," he said.

But he admitted yesterday that during his tenure in the ministry of mines and energy, the proposal to build the Bedugul power project was rejected.

"The Minister of Environment Emil Salim and I agreed not to give license for investors to develop a geothermal power plant in Bali," he said. (aly)