E. Kalimantan coal firms violating regulations: Environment Minister

Two coal companies, which were accused by Miniser of Environment Gusti Muhammad Hatta of violating environmental regulations in their operations at Bukit Soeharto Forestry Park in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, were still in operation.

The two firms are CV Artha Pratama Jaya, which was found by the minister operating in the forest area for education and research managed by Mulawarman University, and PT Kaltim Batu Manunggal, which was found operating nearby the mining site of CV Artha Pratama Jaya.

Hatta noted last Friday that CV Artha Pratama Jaya was suspected to have been illegally operating in the protected forest. It is also suspected to have not yet complied with environmental procedures in mining.

PT Kaltim Batu Manunggal, which got a mining contract from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta, was found to have breached the environmental regulations as it did not report any waste treatment and reclamation after mining activities.

Acting Regent of Kutai Kartanegara Sulaiman Gafur told Kompas daily that his administration was still about to summon the two companies for getting more information about their mining operations.

Sulaiman said that it was no problem for him to revoke the contracts of the two companies if they were proved to have violated the regulations. ?But I have to check their cases first before taking any decision,? he said. (*)