Oil spill pollutes river

JAMBI, Jambi: A leaking oil pipe in Mendahara village, East Tanjungjabung regency, some 100 kilometers east of Jambi city, was apparently to blame for the polluted river and forest in the area, an official said on Monday.

Head of the Jambi environmental impact management agency, Saleh Sibli, said on Monday that the pipe, was still discharging oil and had been for a week. He said that no serious action had been taken so far against PT Petro China company, which is responsible for the pipeline.

He said although the leak was not located in a residential area, it had polluted the Mendahara river, which is used by residents downstream for their daily water needs, and had affected the peat land ecosystem in the area as well as dozens of hectares of industrial forest.

Saleh said his staffers had inspected the site and assigned a team with environmental and forestry expertise to conduct a thorough investigation of the pollution.

"Legal action can only be taken after the investigation is complete," he said. -- JP