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