Minister bans coal mining at Bukit Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said on Tuesday the government had reviewed its policy to allow coal mining at the Bukit Soeharto conservation area in East Kalimantan.

He said the government would not allow any company to mine the allegedly abundant coal deposit of the conservation area as part of environmental protection measures.

"Bukit Soeharto will remain a conservation area and won't be troubled by any mining activities," Kuntoro said on the sidelines of the hearing with the House of Representatives's Commission V for mines and energy, industry and trade, investment, cooperative, manpower and environment.

The government issued mining licenses to some companies in the area out of concern over the frequent forest fires in the area. The forest fires were believed to be sparked by burning coal.

The government believed the mining of the coal deposit would prevent further forest fires.

But, Kuntoro said, the government changed its mind after finding a method of putting out burning coal with the help of the United States's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

The agency has been active in putting out coal fires -- which are also called hot spots -- in the province for several months.

"We have found a cheap method of putting out burning coal. As such, we can put aside the idea of putting out burning coal by mining the coal deposit," Kuntoro said.

The East Kalimantan-based daily Kaltim Post earlier said two coal mining companies PT Mitra Investamaraya and Mitra Andrew Labaikka had completed exploration activities in Bukit Soeharto and prepared to stage exploitation on 30,000 hectares of the 79,000 hectare conservation area.

The paper said some local village heads have tried to make money by selling plots in the conservation area to mining companies.

The companies' mining plan has drawn criticism from local environmentalists who demand that Bukit Soeharto be maintained as a conservation area.

Kuntoro said the government would not award the companies the final permits to extract coal from the area.

"The licenses they are currently holding are only valid for exploration activities. As long as they want to extract coal, under the existing regulation, they are required to obtain an exploitation license from the Ministry of Forestry and Plantation.

"But, I, as Minister of Mines and Energy, now call (on the Ministry of Forestry and Plantation) to maintain Bukit Soeharto as a conservation area," Kuntoro said.(jsk)