Environmental information

Environmental information

With regard to Suwiryo Ismail's discussion on the very
important subject of public access to environmental information
which appeared in The Jakarta Post, Nov. 6, 1997, page four, I
feel that it's necessary to elaborate on one aspect of the
article.

Mr. Ismail states that the government has had a tendency to
block access to environmental information for journalists
covering stories "such as that of Freeport in Irian Jaya".

In fact, the government, through the Pollution Control Agency
(BAPEDAL), has been the biggest proponent of the independent
environmental and social audit process which Freeport recently
concluded. The information from both the environmental and social
audit reports were made public under the guidance of BAPEDAL and
are available to anyone who requests them.

Both studies are extremely comprehensive and detailed.

Freeport Indonesia will continue to conduct internal
environmental audits every year, and external independent
environmental audits every three years as a part of our ongoing
commitment to the BAPEDAL program.

To suggest that the government or Freeport Indonesia has not
been forthcoming with environmental information over the past few
years is not accurate.

EDWARD J. PRESSMAN

Manager, Public Affairs

Freeport Indonesia

Jakarta