E. Kalimantan coalminers told to rehabilitate environment

East Kalimantan provincial authorities have admonished five coalminers to rehabilitate environment in their mining sites, local daily Kaltim Post reported Tuesday.

The province?s environmental impact control agency had summoned officials of the coal mining firms and told them that they had polluted water sources in their areas of operation, have not reclaimed land in their mining sites, and have not given adequate attention to the current forestry law. The agency had conducted an environmental study on the mining sites, the paper quoted agency head Rini Budi Sayekti as saying Monday.

The agency could take legal action against the firms if they refused to take responsibility for the environmental damages, Rini said.

The coal mining firms were PT Multi Harapan Utama, PT Fajar Bumi Sakti, PT Tanito Harun, PT Bukit Baiduri Enterprises and PT Kitadin.

Earlier reports said that the agency had no plan to take legal measures against the firms. (*)