Govt pressed to ban imports of toxic waste
Govt pressed to ban imports of toxic waste
JAKARTA (JP): Seventeen environmental, consumer and legal aid organizations joined hands this weekend to pressure the government to reimpose the total ban on importing toxic and hazardous waste.
The organizations, in a joint statement, accused the government of succumbing to pressures from powerful industry lobbies to lift the ban it imposed in April 1994.
The 17 signatories include the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law, the Indonesian Consumer Agency and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation.
They noted that a number of reservations expressed by environmental groups and university scholars when the 1994 ban was announced had been largely ignored. Instead, the government decided to lift the ban in May, they said.
"That's why we conclude, and fear, that the government is willing to change environmental law and regulations to accommodate the interests of certain businesses," they said in the statement sent to The Jakarta Post yesterday.
State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja announced earlier this month that the new regulation allows the import of some toxic waste to ensure the continuity of certain industries.
He gave the example of car battery manufacturers whose basic material is old batteries. The supply of used batteries from Indonesia is too small to support the three existing manufacturers. To ensure their survival, some strictly controlled imports will be allowed.
The statement by the 17 organizations said the government's decision to lift the total ban on imported hazardous waste "is a backward step" and the reason given "unacceptable".
"The economic reason given by the government was not based on any in-depth study or extensive public debate on finding the right balance between economic interests and the interests of environmental preservation and the public health.
"If hazardous waste can be imported for the purpose of recycling, then Indonesia will become a legitimate dumping ground for hazardous wastes from other countries, notably from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development."
The organizations also warned of the difficulties of monitoring the flow and use of hazardous waste in Indonesia as well as the potential danger to public health and the environment in the case of an accident involving such waste.
The 17 organizations said that any changes to environmental law and regulations should take into account public interest in addition to that of industry.
They also suggested that the government consult the various organizations before making any changes. (emb)