Minister rejects Bojong tryout
Minister rejects Bojong tryout
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar has lent
support to residents in their opposition to the planned trial of
the Bojong waste treatment plant in Bogor regency.
"We are determined to reject the tryout," he said on Tuesday
in a hearing with House of Representatives Commission VII for
energy, human resources and environmental issues.
Bogor authorities revealed last week that the regental
administration and the plant operator, PT Wira Guna Sejahtera,
would carry out the trial on Wednesday.
The state minister argued that, after thoroughly studying the
matter, a joint team manned by staff from his office, the Office
of the State Minister of Research and Technology and the Jakarta
administration had recommended that the operation be shelved.
The team was assigned to determine the feasibility of the
plant, including studying the environmental impact analysis and
problems in the field.
Late last month, a special House team also recommended the
closure of the plant as its presence violated land zoning
regulations. The team said the construction of the site had
violated Bogor Bylaw No. 27/1998 stipulating that the area in
question was designated as a residential, tourism and
agricultural area.
The deputy executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the
Environment (Walhi), Ridha Saleh, said that tension between
opposing parties had run high since Monday.
Dozens of local residents gathered at a post near the plant in
anticipation of the company operating the facility at night.
Bojong plant manager Henry said the main machines in the
facility were in place and ready for a trial run.
"The installation is 95 percent complete. We only need to
install some fixtures, such as lamps in corners of the facility."
he said.
The facility has in the past been vandalized by residents who
foiled the last trial run of the plant in November last year. The
residents feared the plant would damage the environment and their
health.
The plant, built in 2003, is meant to incinerate one-third of
Jakarta's daily waste of 6,000 tons. Jakarta anticipated that the
plant would reduce its dependency on the Bantar Gebang dump in
Bekasi owing to on-and-off operations of the dump amid opposition
from local residents.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said that his office would
use the plant only if the facility operator proved that the plant
would not damage the environment.
"Should the trial run fail, we surely won't use it," he
announced at City Hall.