Arutmin assures its mining operation does not create above-normal pollution

Coal miner PT Arutmin Indonesia monitors coal dust in its mining sites' surrounding areas once in every three months to ensure that its mining operation does not create above-normal pollution to the environment.

Arutmin's environmental supervisor Ir. M. Nurhilmiansyah told reporters on Wednesday (Jan. 10) that Arutmin contracted CV Tri Utama Banjarbaru to monitor pollution level created by Arutmin's mining activities.

Based on those monitoring, Nurhilmiansyah said that coal dust created by Arutmin mining was still within the normal level of below 0.26 mg/m3.

Nevertheless, the company recorded in June in the area of Sompul intersection, an alarming dust pollution level of 0.71 mg/m3, but the pollution level dropped to 0.38 mg/m3 in September, and dropped further to 0.21 mg/m3 in December.

"This means that the pollution in Sompul had dropped to below the benchmark level of 0.26 mg/m3 (set by the state minister of environment)," he said.

Nurhilmiansyah's statement was to respond a report by the South Kalimantan's health department that based on the office's August 2000 survey, coal dust produced by Arutmin had breached the allowed level of 0.26 mg/m3. The pollution created by Arutmin had reached 0.95 mg/m3.

The head of the province health department, H Zairullah Azhar, even slammed Arutmin for breaching the benchmark level "dozens of times" that could endanger people in the surrounding areas.

Nurhilmiansyah, nevertheless, contended that pollution in Sompul intersection was not solely caused by Arutmin's mining operation, but more by trucks and other vehicles belonging to illegal miners and others.

Based on a survey by Jakarta-based consultant Dames Moore, Nurhilmiansyah said, 803 Arutmin trucks carrying coal passed Sompul intersection per day. In addition, 640 small-sized, and 154 large-sized trucks belonging to other companies also passed the intersection per day.

He argued that pollution in Sompul intersection was not caused by mining activities, but more by transportation activities.

He noted that dust pollution in its Arjuna mining pit, for instance, was recorded at 0.24 mg/m3, still below the allowable level.

Meanwhile, the head of the South Kalimantan Legislative Council's Commission E, H. Bastian Thaib, said that he planned to visit Arutmin's mining sites, together with all related institutions, to test the pollution level at Arutmin's sites. (*)