Companies in Riau ignore environment

Most of major companies operating in Dumai, Riau such as Pertamina, Caltex and several hospital operators do not possess Amdal, a document containing analyses of environmental impact of their operations, according to a senior official of the local environmental office.

The head of the branch office of the environmenal impact management agency (Bapedal) in Dumai, Asyari Saleh, said on Wednesday that Pertamina had obtained Amdal documents for its oil and gas operations but the Amdal, which was issued in 1984, needed renewal because it no longer reflected the real condition of the company's activities.

"Supporting facilities of the state oil and gas company such as airport, seaport, hospital and housing facilities did not possess Amdal documents at all," he said in a workshop on the impact of industrial activities on environment.

Asyari acknowledged that Caltex had obtained Amdal for its oil and gas exploration and production activities but the opration of its seaport was not supported by Amdal documents.

According to the head of the agency's office for Sumatra, M Alamasyah B, the pollution level in Dumai was getting worse and worse because most of the companies operating in the regency paid no serious attention on the management of their environment.

"The industrial pollution in Dumai has been alarming. The local government should take an immediate action to cope with the problem. Otherwise the pollution level will be getting worse," he said, citing that the chemical waste resulting from industrial activities in Jalan Tembaga, Dumai could no lnger be ignored. (*)