Berau Coal attacked over environmental destruction

A Berau district community grouping called PKMKB lambasted coal mining company PT Berau Coal for environmental destruction at its mining operation in the Lati and Binungan sites, in East Kalimantan Province.

PKMKB leader HM Yoesoef was quoted as saying by the local Kaltim Post daily that Berau Coal did not implement the necessary land reclamation at its ex-mining sites. He said that this would lead to environmental destruction.

Yoesoef also criticized the local Berau district administration for not taking any serious action against Berau Coal, which seemed to be only interested in exploiting the local coal resources without any interest in improving the environmental condition.

He said that the would talk the problem with the local parliament with the outlook of asking the government to drop the mining license of Berau Coal, which controls around 115,000 ha mining site.

Yoesoef said that the Berau people had not received benefit from Berau Coal's operation, but had only witnessed further destruction in the local environment.

He added that the claims by Berau Coal management that the company had implemented land reclamation was a big lie. (*)