Pollutants reduce locals' IQs

TANGERANG, Banten: Tangerang regency's environment agency has asked pulp producer PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper on Jl. Raya Serpong to stop dumping dangerous pollutants outside its factory and build a temporary storage facility for the waste.

Head of the agency Deden Sugandhi said the waste had tested positive for mercury and arsenic, which could cause skin irritations, lowered intelligence quotients (IQ) and even death. The company, which is partially owned by foreigners, obtained a "red mark", along with 21 other firms across the country, for failing to meet the minimum standard of waste disposal set by the office of the state minister for the environment.

A company spokesman questioned the rating, saying other Indah Kiat subsidiaries in Serang, Banten and Perawang, Riau received a better mark although the waste management applied was just the same. -- JP