Minister urged to probe waste trade

Minister urged to probe waste trade

JAKARTA: A local non-government organization (NGO) has urged
State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar to investigate
the illegal trade of toxic waste and bring the perpetrators to
court.

The Center for Information and Advocacy of Marine Resources
and the Environment (PIAKL) stated on Thursday that it had
discovered at least 20 containers of toxic waste in the Tanjung
Priok seaport in North Jakarta. PIAKL also stated that it found
50 containers of toxic waste at the Tanjung Mas seaport in
Semarang, Central Java. The authorities have been unable to
identify the owner of the containers due to their slow response
to the issue PIAKL said in a statement.

PIAKL secretary Agus Sukanda said that the toxic waste could
harm the coastal and marine ecosystem. - Antara