Council to summon big-time polluters

Council to summon big-time polluters

The Jakarta Post, Bekasi

Concerned about water pollution in Bekasi, the municipal council
said on Thursday it would summon the directors of companies, who
allegedly broke their promise to install industrial waste
processing facilities at their plants.

Councillors said the factories had promised to procure the
equipment by June at the latest to prevent causing environmental
problems in the surrounding area.

"About six months ago, the businessmen promised to buy the
processing facilities by June. But, until now, none have procured
them," said Nurul Yakin Setiabudi, a deputy speaker of Bekasi
Council Commission B overseeing environmental affairs.

However, he declined to reveal the names of the companies in
question.

"I don't need to reveal the names of the companies that have
reneged on their promise, but I have reliable data on that," he
was quoted by Antara as saying.

Yakin did not give a date for a hearing with his commission
members.

The plan came in a response to recent protests from residents
living in the areas close to the companies as their wells are
being contaminated by waste produced by the factories.

However, none of the accused companies heeded the grievances
of the protesting residents, most of whom still use ground water
for daily consumption.

According to Yakin, most factories in Bekasi have not
installed cesspool processing facilities.

He said that the company managements have to explain why their
companies had not installed the required waste processing
facilities.

"If they do not heed our warning, the council will recommend
that the Bekasi administration close the factories. We don't want
residents there to be victims of water pollution," he asserted.

Three months ago, a leather factory and a company producing
refrigerator spare parts in Rawalumbu subdistrict were lambasted
by local residents because their industrial waste polluted the
area.

"I felt cheated by the leather tanning factory's owner who
claimed such an industry would not pollute the environment. We
soon found out otherwise," Yakin said.

He said the Commission B members also planned to conduct
environmental assessments on several other factories in the
municipality.