Dumai Group denies

An article published in the June 9, 2003 issue of The Jakarta Post, Palm oil waste kills thousands of fish, regarded PT Surya Dumai Group as the source of pollution of Kuning River (a tributary of Siak River) that killed thousands of fish.

The statement in this article is not true, for the following reasons: * The only estate of Surya Dumai Group close to the Kuning River is PT Meridan Surya Sejati Plantation (MSSP), which so far has not yet owned (built) an oil palm processing plant. Therefore, the group's estate produces no processing waste that causes contamination. * PT MSSP is surrounded by several private and state-owned oil palm estate companies, most of which have built processing plants. * The group's agriculture division undertakes waste management programs by applying the concepts of clean technology toward zero emission and 3Rs (reuse, recycle and recovery) to prevent environment pollution.

CILLANDRA FANGLONO, Div II, Surya Dumai Group, Pekanbaru, Riau