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