Pollution blacklist lacks power: Environment activist
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
An environmental activist lashed out on Thursday at State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Nadi Witoelar Kartaadipoetra's statement on five firms on the environment office's pollution blacklist, saying it lacked power without the involvement of East Java Governor Imam Utomo.
Chairman of nongovernmental organization ECOTON, Prigi Arisanti, said the governor's involvement was essential as he was one of the commissioners of the blacklisted companies PT Surabaya Industri Estate Rungkut (SIER) and PT Pasuruan Industri Estate Rembang (PIER).
"The East Java governor is the commissioner of PT SIER and PT PIER, so how can the East Java Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) dare to take action," Prigi said.
On Wednesday, Rachmat blacklisted eight companies among a group of 42 polluters. Five of the eight are private companies in Sidoardjo, East Java: PT SIER, PT PIER, PT Hanil Jaya Metal Baja, PT Ispatindo and PT Jatim Taman Steel.
The other three are state-owned enterprises: paper producer PT Kertas Padalarang and sugar factory Pabrik Gula Jati Tujuh, in West Java; and paper producer PT Kertas Blabat in Central Java.
Prigi said the state minister's data showed the blacklisted companies had caused serious environmental damage. PT SIER, for instance, allegedly polluted fish ponds in Wonorejo area in Surabaya, he added.
"But those companies even made Bapedal one of their advisors on waste management, which is strange," he said.
He also said the state minister did not mention paper producers in East Java, most of whom were allegedly polluters.
Based on ECOTON's data, paper producers PT Suparma in Surabaya, PT Surabaya Agung Kertas in Surabaya, PT Adi Prima Suraprinta in Gresik, PT Tjiwi Kimia in Sidoarjo and PT Surabaya Meccabot in Surabaya are also polluters, he said.
Head of Bapedal's office in East Java Hartoyo, said his office is still processing cases involving polluter companies in cooperation with the Surabaya Police.
"We will process the cases, while Bapedal will contact the Surabaya Police for their report on the investigation of the companies," he said.
Responding to pollution allegations concerning PT SIER, he said his office believed the company was a major culprit, polluting the environment with solid waste produced by companies under PT SIER.
"Solid waste produced by companies under PT SIER is polluting the environment," Hartoyo said, adding that Bapedal is currently conducting an analysis on the matter.
Meanwhile, three other private companies included on the blacklist remained unwilling to comment.
Only PT SIER and PT PIER are considering taking legal action over the minister's statement.
"We're still considering whether to sue the minister over the released data," Wiji Sudarmi, head of the companies' general affairs division, said on Thursday.
She said the companies had public support.
"Our relations with members of the community and businesspeople are good, so we're not worried (about the statement)," Wiji said.