Amdal documents of 43 companies might be revoked
Saturday, March 5 2005 - 02:00 AM WIB
Sate Minister of Environmental Affairs Rahmat Witular has threatened to revoke the environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) documents of at least 43 companies for violating the environment regulation, Investor Daily reported on Saturday.
?The companies will be given six months to improve their environmental practices or have their AMDALs revoked,? the minister said in an environmental seminar in Toba Lake, near Medan on Friday.
Seven of the 43 companies which mostly operate in mining, fertilizer and paper production activities are state-owned firms, including Pertamina. Another one is a subsidiary of the mining giant Newmont Corporation.
According to Witular, the revocation of AMDAL will consequently result in the closure of the companies.
?If they are private firms, they will be closed down,? he said, adding that if the companies that lost their AMDAL are state firms, it is their executives that would be suspended.
Any company, which will open a business, is required to make an AMDAL, which includes practices and actions that it will take to protect the environment. Related government institutions should approve the AMDAL. (*).