City Hall refuses to comment on Bira Island case

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)