Government defends food seasoning plant

Government defends food seasoning plant

JAKARTA (JP): The Environmental Impact Management Agency
(Bapedal) yesterday said that any pollution in the Rejoso River
in Pasuruan, East Java, is likely to have come from sources other
than a South Korean-owned food seasoning plant.

Bapedal deputy chief Nabiel Makarim told reporters that as far
as his agency was concerned, PT Cheil Samsung Indonesia had a
fine record in complying with environmental regulations and was
in fact duly awarded by the government last year.

Nabiel said a recent Bapedal survey, conducted as recently as
Nov. 9 to determine this year's winners for the awards which will
be announced this month, reconfirmed Cheil Samsung continued
compliance with the rules.

Household waste, pesticide residue and waste from sugar cane
plants were among substances found in the river, he said.

The company's plant was attacked by hundreds of people early
this month amid accusations that its waste was polluting fish
ponds owned by local farmers.

Police have arrested dozens of the protesters, many of whom
turned out to be students from out of town.

Nabiel said the Bapedal survey found that the water in Rejoso
River met with the minimum standard for a river, at least for
"agriculture purposes" and not necessarily for drinking.

The water's dissolved oxygen, according to the last survey,
stood at 5.8 to six, which is more than enough to maintain living
organisms in water such as fish. The lowest level set for
agricultural rivers is three.

Bapedal has sent another team to the area following the
protest and samples of water from the river and shrimp ponds are
now under laboratory testing, Nabiel said.

Cheil Samsung has now resumed operation and has been engaged
in a number of public relations exercises to improve its standing
with the local people.

On Wednesday, its president, Sung Bae Kim, signed an agreement
with Pasuruan Regent R. Saputro and East Java Deputy Governor
Harwin Wasisto, pledging that it would comply to all environment
rules.

"This was done to convince protesters, although the company
has not violated any rules," Nabiel said.

Bapedal has also suggested that Cheil Samsung help supply
clean water to people living near its factory.

Nabiel said that East Java administration officials have also
issued a statement to convince the pond owners that the drop in
production may have been caused by damage to mangrove forests.
(anr)