Arutmin and Adaro criticized by environmental group
Wednesday, January 5 2005 - 02:57 AM WIB
Walhi, one of the country's influential environmental organizations, has strongly criticized major coal mining companies PT Arutmin and PT Adaro for their lack of commitment in preserving the environment in their mining sites.
Director of Walhi's branch in South Kalimantan, Berry Furqon, criticized the two companies of being not transparent in their efforts towards preserving the environment in their mining sites, especially those related to their reclamation programs on giant craters resulting from their mining activities.
He said that mining activities of Arutmin and Adaro, which operate large mining sites in South Kalimantan, had resulted in the formation of giant craters, each with a diameter of between one kilometer and the depth of between 30 and 40 meters.
But both Arutmin and Adaro were not transparent in their reclamation efforts in closing such huge craters. Berry said that the two companies often made up the reasons to cover up their inability to carry out the reclamation such as by saying that the craters would be turned into a water reservoir.
If they intended to turn to turn the giant craters into water reservoirs, they should have a reliable technology to prevent massive flood that may take place from the craters, he said. But, the fact indicated that the two companies did not have proper technology in turning the craters in water reservoir especially in preventing possible floods from the craters.
Arutmin's spokesman Kadarusman said that the company had yet to start the reclamation works on the giant crater on its mining site because there were still lot of coal deposits under the crater. But the company did not say why the mining site had been left inactive for almost three years.
Meanwhile Adaro's spokesman Dahai Ismail said that it would be difficult to fully cover the crater, with a diameter of a kilometer and the depth of 30 meter, in its mining site. The former mining site would therefore be turned into a water reservoir for agricultural activities, he added. (*)