Environment ministry has no authority over AMDAL of Tangguh LNG: Environmentalists
Monday, May 13 2002 - 02:00 AM WIB
The government could give a green light to Pertamina and BP Indonesia to go ahead with their joint plan to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Tangguh, Papua only if several issues related to the project had been adequately addressed, according to Indonesian Environment Forum (WALHI) who claimed to speak on behalf of other environmental watchdogs.
Among the issues was the fact that the Agency for Environmental Impact Management (Bapedal) no longer had the authority over AMDAL because it had been liquidated this year. Meanwhile, the government had not yet handed over the AMDAL authority to the State Ministry of Environment, said Yahya who heads WALHI?s mining division.
Yahya said last week other issues which must be addressed included the future of the local people affected by the LNG project.
Yahya admitted WALHI and other environmental organizations had joined the AMDAL committee for LNG Tangguh. But they had withdrawn from the body while insisting that the committee should first address the lot of Tangguh?s local communities before deliberating other matters.
Also last week, the State Ministry of Environment asked Pertamina and BP to explain to it more about their plan of developing a ?close camp? in Tangguh. The ministry also wants to get further information about their efforts to avoid environmental damages at the Tangguh project.
Pertamina and BP had earlier made presentation at the ministry about their integrated activities at the planned Tangguh project including the gas exploitation, the building of LNG facilities, seaport, airport and housing complexes.
Pertamina and BP, a unit of Anglo-American energy giant BP Plc, had planned to begin developing the Tangguh LNG project in 2003. Completion is expected for 2005, while gas production is expected to start from 2006. (*)