Dialog used to urge polluters to change
Dialog used to urge polluters to change
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
"Living in a polluted area is like dying a slow death," said
Priyanto, a resident of heavily polluted Rawa Terate subdistrict
near Jakarta International Estate Pulogadung (JIEP) in North
Jakarta.
Priyanto, a member of Rawa Terate's Subdistrict Council, was
speaking in a panel discussion held on Thursday by the city's
Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) and the Association of
Indonesian Steel Billet, Wire Rod, Concrete Bars and Profile
Producers (ABBEPSI).
Head of the agency Kosasih Wirahadikusumah told The Jakarta
Post that the dialog was held to find a solution to the heavily
polluted air in Rawa Terate area allegedly caused by some steel
casting companies operating in the area.
The factories are, among others, PT Jakarta Cakratunggal Steel
Mills, PT Jakarta Steel Megahutama, PT The Master Steel Mfg. Co
and PT Jakarta Prima Steel Industries.
Kosasih said that the agency could penalize the companies, but
that from past experience, it would not be effective.
The agency had forced a company, Tosan Prima Steel Industries,
owned by the tycoon The Nin King to close, back in the early
1990s due to the severe pollution that the factory caused, he
said.
After a while the factory was reopened, bearing a new name of
Jakarta Prima Steel Industries that also owns Jakarta
Cakratunggal Steel Mills. Both companies still cause heavy air
pollution.
"We closed the factories. They reopened with new names.
Pollution remains. The problem was not solved," he said.
Therefore, the agency chose to urge the factories to come up
with their own solutions and their own schedule to implement
changes. If they fail to change, the agency will sanction them.
Rudy Tambunan, an independent consultant for the agency, said
that an agreement to find a mutually beneficial solution and a
time schedule binding the polluting companies must be immediately
established involving community leaders from the area and
monitoring by the media.
Rudy, an expert from Indonesian Geographical Society, said
that finding a solution was imperative because residents could
demand that the City Council relocate the factories if they found
the situation intolerable.
Priyanto said that residents realized that the factories had
provided economic opportunities for them but he could not tell
how long the residents could tolerate the heavy pollution.
Chairman of ABBEPSI, Wulahady Wulele, told the participants in
the discussion that the residents also needed to be informed
about the minimum acceptable level of emissions generated from
the factories "because not all smoke generated is categorized as
polluting."
Thursday's discussion was attended by experts from the Agency
for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the R&D
Institute of the Chemical Industry of the Ministry of Trade and
Industry, Krakatau Steel and dozens of members of ABBEPSI.
The experts expected that factory representatives would
disclose their efforts in preventing or reducing air pollution.
Ridwan Panjaitan, head of the agency's Environmental Impact
Prevention division, however, said that the factories seemed to
need more time to openly admit their pollution problem.
"There will be more intensive meetings to ensure the immediate
implementation of the pollution reduction program," he said.
It is reported that residents, including some health
officials, in Rawa Terate subdistrict, have complained that
yellowish brown smoke, coming from a number of steel casting
factories surrounding the area, has been adversely affecting
their health.
The agency has warned that any type of solids in the air such
as smoke, dust and vapor, which remain suspended for extended
periods, could cause cancer and bronchitis.