Mercury pollutes C. Kalimantan rivers

PALANGKA RAYA, Central Kalimantan: Seven out of 11 large rivers in Central Kalimantan are contaminated with mercury used by illegal miners, highlighting the environmental cost of allowing the illegal business to expand.

The affected rivers include the province's main river Barito, as well as the Kapuas, Kahayan, Rungan, Katingan, Arut and Sekonyer rivers, Central Kalimantan governor Asmawi Agani said on Tuesday.

He said the pollution levels of these rivers had reached two to seven times the normal amount of 0.001 milligram per liter.

Mercury is used to separate valuable minerals like gold from rocks and dirt. The chemical is popular among illegal miners, who often use dangerous levels of mercury. In the long run, it could disrupt blood circulation, damage the nervous system and cause cancer in those coming into direct contact with the mineral.

Governor Asmawi added that illegal miners also dump dirt from mines, or the mining tailing, into rivers. Consequently, he said, large ships might not be able to pass through some parts of the rivers that have become too shallow.

Illegal mining mushroomed in Sumatra and Kalimantan after the fall of president Soeharto in 1998 slackened law enforcement. Hit by the economic crisis, villagers encroached the mining areas of legal mining companies in order to survive.

The illegal business often has the backing of capitalists in Java, who are accused of paying authorities to turn a blind eye. -- Antara