Govt criticized over toxic waste import

Govt criticized over toxic waste import

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam

The Riau Islands customs office has confiscated a barge loaded
with tons of allegedly toxic waste materials as it re-entered
Indonesian waters, with environmentalists calling on the
government to be stern in resolving the issue.

The barge, its contents and the towing boat were seized early
on Friday after it re-entered Tanjung Balai Karimun waters in
Riau Islands province, instead of heading back to its port of
origin in Singapore, as it had been ordered to do by the
government.

Thousands of tons of waste material had been imported by local
fertilizer firm PT APEL from a Singaporean firm last year.

The waste was then dumped on Galang island in Batam, and
remained there until State Minister of the Environment Rachmat
Witoelar visited the area last week and ordered the waste be re-
exported to Singapore. The Basel Convention bans countries from
transferring toxic waste materials to other countries.

The Office of the State Minister of the Environment said last
month that it was investigating three Indonesians from PT APEL
and a Singaporean in relation to the case.

Tanjung Balai Karimun customs office head Heru Santoso said
that the barge was carrying over 3,000 tons of waste, but he
could not say how many people were arrested.

The barge left for Singapore on Tuesday, escorted by the
Indonesian Navy, customs officials and environment ministry
officials. However, after the barge entered international waters,
it slowed down and changed direction toward Riau Islands
province.

Sudarsono, deputy for legal affairs at the Office of the State
Minister of the Environment, declined on Saturday to provide any
response concerning the case.

A number of environmentalists and local councillors initially
expressed doubt that the barge would actually reach Singapore, as
there seemed to be no certainty that Singapore would accept the
materials.

I Wayan Githa from Batam Lestari Lingkungan, a non-
governmental organization, said the government was not being
stern in dealing with the matter.

"Until now, there's been no clarity about who has been
arrested. We don't even know about any legal processes being
taken against the importer and the exporter. The government must
take the case to international courts so that Singapore will
admit that they have exported toxic materials into Indonesia," he
said.

Batam councillor Jasarmen Purba said the case has become an
international scandal and concerned parties must be held
responsible.

"The government needs to investigate the case thoroughly,
including questioning those who were involved during the import
process," he said.

A similar concern came from Iskandar, a researcher at the Riau
Island Research and Training Center, who said that the government
was careless in its handling of the case.

"There was never any guarantee from the government that
Singapore would take the materials. Even Ajit Singh (a Singapore
consul in Riau) has just found out about the re-export (policy),"
he said.