Sarwono announces five best performers

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja announced yesterday the names of five manufacturing companies rated by the government among the best in managing their waste.

The five companies, including PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper, which was criticized for polluting the Ciujung River in Serang, West Java, in 1992, were rated "green" under the new rating system Sarwono's office is introducing for the way companies show concern toward the environment.

Sarwono said 187 manufacturing companies were assessed under the Clean River Project and none qualified for placement in the "gold" category, which is reserved for companies with the finest environmental protection performance.

After gold comes green, with five companies qualifying for this category. The blue, red and black categories follow.

Sarwono, speaking at the closing ceremony of the national conference on environmental protection, which was attended by Vice President Try Sutrisno, only announced the names of the five companies in the green category.

Besides Indah Kiat, the other four in this category are PT Pindad, a state arms manufacturer in Bandung, West Java, PT Tifico and PT Kumafiber, both textile producers in Tangerang, and PT Cheil Samsung Astra, which produces monosodium glutamate in Pasuruan, East Java.

Sarwono said 61 companies fell into the blue category and 115 into the red category. Six others were listed in the black category, which is reserved for the worst polluters.

The new rating system is intended to motivate improved awareness of the need for environmental management among the industrial community. (anr)