Bogor councillors upset at PPLi

Theresia Sufa, Bogor

Nine days after fire engulfed a 1,350-square-meter warehouse containing drums of toxic waste, the facility's owner has yet to report how much and exactly what kind of toxic waste was stored in the warehouse, much to the chagrin of the Bogor regency council.

Councillors from Commission C, which deals with environmental issues, went on Friday to the Klapa Nunggal facility, the largest hazardous waste processing site in Indonesia, to demand a full accounting from the site's owner, PT Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri (PPLi), of what, if any, dangerous chemicals were released into the environment.

However, PPLi told the councillors no details could be released pending the completion of an ongoing investigation into the fire. The investigation is being jointly conducted with the Office of the State Minister for the Environment, which owns a 5 percent share in PPLi.

Sumarli, one of six councillors who visited the site, said the councillors suspected the company was hiding something.

"We are disappointed with PPLi's shroud of secrecy," said Sumarli. "We just want clarification of the environmental impact of the fire."

He said the council wanted a detailed explanation of what chemicals were stored in the warehouse and in what quantities.

Sumarli said that PPLi's refusal to provide the council with details violated a presidential order requiring transparency in the handling of toxic waste.

Just a few hours after the fire, which was contained after six hours using a special foam to fight chemical fires, PPLi issued a statement saying no dangerous chemicals had been released into the environment as a result of the fire.

The president director of PPLi, Edward Corcoran, who is also the founder of Modern Asia Environmental Holdings, which owns 95 percent of PPLi, said in a statement: "The safety of our employees and the surrounding community is our main concern."

The fire did not cause any injuries or disrupt the company's operations.

A source at the company said all 233 of PPLi's employees were being interviewed to try and determine the cause of the fire. He said he did not know when the interviews would be finished.

PPLi, which began operations in 1994, processes about 60,000 tons of industrial waste from 800 companies across Indonesia, including mining giant Newmont Minahasa in North Sulawesi and Freeport in Papua. The company's facilities meet international environmental standards.

Modern Asia Environmental Holdings also owns hazardous waste processing facilities in Thailand.