City Hall refuses to comment on Bira Island case
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has refused to reveal the latest progress of the environmental audit on the controversial Bira Island in Seribu Islands, North Jakarta.
Head of the City Environment Office Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno said yesterday that the island's environmental audit is still being processed.
He said his office has been monitoring the process of the audit, but; "I'm not in the position to reveal anything about the audit process to you. Ask the developer about it."
Aboejoewono is also secretary of the city environmental impact analysis (Amdal) commission.
North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito also refused to comment on the matter. "I have nothing to say about Bira Island, just ask the governor," he said.
The island is one of seven islands in the Seribu Island chain that belongs to the 108,000-hectare national marine park.
Bira Island has been in the spotlight since State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja disclosed the poor conditions of Bira Island due to indiscriminate logging to make way for development of a golf course in 1993.
President Soeharto also expressed concern about the destruction of the island and underlined the importance of rejuvenating the environment. He said the developer may be prosecuted for violating the existing regulations on environment.
Sarwono has instructed PT Pulau Seribu Paradise, the developer of the golf course, to audit the island's environment.
Last February, the city administration turned down for the third time the environmental analysis of Bira Island done by the developer.
An environmental analysis is a mandatory assessment that must be presented by a developer to ensure that no development will produce unwanted effects to the surrounding environment.
Sand quarry
In a related development, head of the City Development Planning Board Budihardjo Sukmadi said that the Ministry of Mines and Energy has already conducted environmental analyses in ten locations in West Java prior to approving sand quarrying projects.
"The impact analyses were conducted by the ministry. There is nothing to worry about," Budihardjo said early this week.
The 10 locations recommended as stone and sand quarrying sites include Pulau Bokor, Gosong Serdang, Tanjung Sekong, Tanjung Pontang, Tanjung Kait, Tanjung Pasir, Tanjung Bungin, Pantai Cimara, Pasir Putih and Pantai Pamanukan.
Meanwhile, P.L. Coutrier, the deputy for environmental impact management, said that activities like sand quarrying and dredging must have an impact on the environment. "However, scientific research is required to prove it."
He made the statement early this week in reference to massive sand dredging near Laki Island, also in Seribu Islands. The sand is being used to reclaim part of the East Ancol shoreline.
He added that scientific research should be started by, among other things, identifying the amount of sand naturally available. By doing this, environmental damage could be minimized or avoided.
Commenting on this matter, the program manager for the Indonesian Forum for Environment, Arimbi, said that the problem lies with the fact that the related agencies as well as developers never announce the results of the analyses.
"The public is unaware of this fact, the public does not have any access to such information because the related agencies do not publicize it," Arimbi said. (yns)