KLH Supervises Paint Raw Material Business in Manokwari Over Alleged Pollution

The Ministry of Environment (KLH), through its Law Enforcement Centre for the Papua Maluku Region, is conducting supervision of PT SAPB’s activities in Masni District, Manokwari Regency, West Papua, following allegations of environmental pollution. The Head of the West Papua Environment and Land Agency (DLHP), Reymond Richard Yap, stated that the supervision was triggered by community reports regarding river water turning turbid and emitting an odour due to waste from the extraction of ‘akar kuning’ (a yellow root) used as a raw material for paint.

Upon receiving the report, the DLHP immediately forwarded it to the KLH, which then deployed a team to the field. The company has reportedly sent the extraction results to China approximately six times. Yap expressed regret that village-level officials were aware of the company’s existence but failed to provide a report to higher authorities.

During the inspection, it was discovered that several workers were not using Personal Protective Equipment (APD) as required while handling salt and other chemicals during the extraction process, potentially threatening their safety and health. The KLH team, together with the Centre for Environmental Impact Control (Pusarpedal), has taken water samples for advanced laboratory examination at the KLH’s main reference laboratory in Jakarta. The company has signed the official report of the supervision and monitoring, and authorities are now waiting for the laboratory test results, which will serve as the basis for determining law enforcement actions and sanctions in accordance with statutory regulations.