Experts fail to end deafening noise at ExxonMobil?s plant

A special team of experts from the Institute of Technology of Bandung (ITB) have been assigned to curb the deafening noise resulted from the operation of ExxonMobil?s gas plant in the Arun gas field in North Aceh. But the deafening noise and the heavy vibration caused by the plant?s operation still continued.

The team was assigned after the local residents complained that the noise and vibration which took place for almost 24 hours had caused a serious problem to their lives. ?We have experienced this for over five years and we could not stand any more,? said one of the residents.

According to residents, the deafening noise and the vibration resulted from the operation of the giant gas booster which is located in the company?s Cluster II gas field has caused them to suffer a lot, particularly during the peak hours of the company?s operations at 10 p.m. until midnight.

The affected villagers live in Matang Munyee in the Syamtalira Aron district, and Nibong Baroh in the Tanah Luas village.

In February 1999, the villagers protested the operation of the gas booster, but the company did nothing to reduce the noise and vibration resulted from its gas booster. The villagers then filed their complaint to the local office of the Jakarta-based environmental impact management agency (Bapedelda) in December, last year. And again, there is no a positive response to their protest, although the head of the agency had sent a letter asking the company to pay a serious attention to the villagers? problem. (*)