Ministry Imposes Administrative Sanctions on 273 Landfill Operators to Curb Open Dumping

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLH) has imposed administrative sanctions on 273 operators of final waste processing sites (TPA) for non-compliance, with further violations potentially leading to stricter law enforcement measures.

The Deputy for Law Enforcement at the KLH/Environmental Control Agency (BPLH), Rizal Irawan, stated at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting on Waste Management in Jakarta on Thursday that, as of January 2026, the ministry had issued administrative sanctions to 273 TPA operators. Of these, 231 were instructed to cease open dumping practices, 22 were ordered to halt operations, and 20 regions were required to establish their own TPAs.

“We begin with administrative sanctions, providing a timeframe depending on the severity of the violation. Some receive a 30-day notice, others 90, 180 days, and so on. After this period, our team will conduct a second inspection to determine whether the administrative sanctions have been adhered to,” Rizal explained.

The administrative sanctions were initially given to 250 TPA operators in 2025, and in January 2026, the Deputy for Law Enforcement at the KLH issued sanctions to an additional 23 TPA operators.

“This serves as a warning: if the letter of administrative sanction is issued and compliance is not achieved, it will result in the application of Article 114 (of the Environmental Protection and Management Law), leading to stricter penalties. Therefore, all regions should take note and ensure compliance to avoid facing Article 114,” Rizal said.

He referred to Article 114 of Law No. 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management, which stipulates that any business or activity operator who fails to comply with administrative sanctions issued by the government may face imprisonment and fines.