Latest oil spill only a rumor, police say
Latest oil spill only a rumor, police say
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Pos, Jakarta
The Jakarta Police asserted they would not go ahead with an
investigation into the alleged oil spill in Kepulauan Seribu
regency, as it was "a complete rumor".
"Our team of investigators visited the islands, but they did
not find any evidence of pollution. Where was the exact location
of the oil spill? They did not find any spills... It was only a
rumor," city police chief of special crimes Sr. Comr. Edmon Ilyas
said over the weekend.
Edmon further said since no officials from the Jakarta
Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) or the Kepulauan Seribu
National Marine Park had notified the police over the oil spill
that had allegedly occurred early this month, no such case had
been opened.
His contradictory statement comes a week after BPLHD and
marine park officials revealed that the frequent occurrence of
oil spills had damaged the ecosystem and tourism potential of the
resort islands, known as the Thousand Islands.
On Oct. 6, marine park head Sumarto called a press briefing
over frequent oil spills around Pramuka islet spotted by park
rangers.
The rangers first saw eight dolphins swimming frantically as
if they were being chased, then they noticed a long, black oil
spill behind the dolphins.
A day after, the BPLHD released a report saying that the oil
spill was first observed on Oct. 1 around the islands of Kotok
Kecil, Kotok Besar, Semadaun, Panggang and Pramuka. The report
also indicated that it was the fifth such incident in the area
since December.
The marine park management reported that the spill had damaged
one-third of the park area, or about 7.7 hectares.
Meanwhile, the BPLHD said 20 groups of fish farmers, 60 groups
of seaweed farmers and 100 groups of fishermen had reported
losses. The agency also reported that the population of Hawksbill
turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), which lay their eggs along the
coast, had halved.
The Jakarta Tourism Agency further reported that occupancy
rates on the resort islands had plunged by an average of 70
percent over the past eight months.
The city police special crimes' environmental unit began
investigating the water pollution in Kepulauan Seribu in January.
In Kepulauan Seribu waters, the nearest oil rig belongs to the
China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC).
They took samples from the polluted area in January and
February and from the CNOOC rig in March, promising to announce
their results in April.
The police have not revealed the results of their laboratory
tests nor have they named any suspects to date.
They say they are still investigating the case and will reveal
the results whenever they are asked by the media.
In regards oil spills, a standard operation procedure issued
by the oil and gas upstream regulatory agency (BP Migas)
stipulates that the nearest oil rig to the site of the spill must
take immediate action to contain the spill and clean up the
waters and beaches.
CNOOC had financed a clean-up of an oil spill on Dec. 28,
2003, collecting 220 tons -- or 22,000 bags -- of oil and tar
balls from 61 islands.