Coal mine in Bengkulu faces closure
Tuesday, March 21 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
State Minister for Environment Affairs Sony Keraf has warned the Bengkulu-based coal mining company PT Danau Mas Hitam to revise wastewater treatment system if it wanted to continue its operation.
"The company has three months to change its water treatment system, or lose its license," the minister said over the weekend.
Keraf, also the chairman of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal), said that if the coal mining operator, which is partly owned by a South Korean company, failed to improve its waste water treatment system within the deadline, his office would ask related ministry to revoke its permit.
The company has built six pounds to treat the waste resulting from its coal processing operation before being channelled to nearby river but the waste treatment technology it uses does not really work, causing a major contamination to the river water.
"If fishes still cannot not stay alive in the pounds, the company does not only face closure but also will have no more chance to obtain new permit," he said.
Danau Mas won a contract in 1984 to explore and produce coal in 1,700 hectare-mining concession area in Bengkulu, southern Sumatra. The company plans to increase its annual production to 750,000 tons at present from 500,000 tons last year.
The company is one of several mining operators in the province, which have been charged with breaching the environment regulation. (*)