BKSDA C. Sulawesi: CPM starts mining before getting license
Tuesday, August 8 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
On Sept. 3, 1998, gold and copper miner PT Citra Palu Mineral (PT CPM), controlled by Rio Tinto, conducted drilling activities in 11 points in Poboya-Paneki in Central Sulawesi, out of 19 points of locations where the company wanted to drill. Three of the 19 points of locations are located inside the Poboya-Paneki forest preservation area.
Actually, CPM only got the required drilling license from the Directorate General of Forest and Natural Preservation, in Jakarta, on Sept. 28, 1998, long after it conducted its actual drilling activities, according to the head of the Natural Preservation Agency's (BKSDA) Central Sulawesi office, MZ Hudiono.
"The license was issued from Jakarta on Sept. 28, 1998, but CPM had conducted drilling in the location since Sept. 3, 1998. And this drilling activities were not reported to us," Hudiono said.
He added that the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations' Central Sulawesi office should have coordinated with his agency whenever there were activities inside the forest preservation areas.
He suspected that the forestry office and CPM might have considered his agency as the barrier to their goal. "It is very clear from the evidence that they did not inform us directly. Only after we filed a letter to the forestry office, CPM suddenly twisted its stance. But we will continue to monitor their activities."
On the other hand, the C. Sulawesi forestry office was very uncooperative and not transparent when the representatives of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) came to the office and asked for data about CPM's activities.
The director executive of Walhi's C. Sulawesi office, Harley said that he regretted the forestry office's stance. "They must be open and transparent to the people about this mining activities, moreover it involves the interest of many people. We remain at our position that we are against exploration activities by PC CPM in the forest preservation area." (*)