Govt to Exxon: Clean up mercury at your old site
Friday, August 27 2010 - 01:30 AM WIB
The order was made during a closed-door meeting with representatives from ExxonMobil Indonesia at the Ministry's office Thursday.
"We told [ExxonMobil] about our mercury-pollution finding. We also ordered it to clean the soil from mercury," said Rasio Righo Sani, assistant deputy for management of hazardous waste from mining activities, who chaired the meeting.
He said the representatives from ExxonMobil, however, decline to sign the minutes of the meeting.
"But in principle, they expressed their readiness to help the local administration clean the area from mercury," he said.
ExxonMobil has said that mercury in the soil of the company's former workshop and warehouse facility did not come from the company.
"ExxonMobil is ready to cooperate with the local administration and related parties, including the Environment Ministry, to handle the [mercury] problems," public affairs vice president of the ExxonMobil Indonesia told The Jakarta Post.
US-based ExxonMobil handed over the land to the North Aceh administration last year.
The ministry invited the company's legal division staff to hold a meeting to discuss the issued slated for Friday. "We want a clear statement from the company on whether it is responsible for the mercury or if it will only help the local administration clean up the pollution," Imam Hendargo Ismoyo, deputy minister of hazardous waste at the ministry, said.
Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta admitted that ExxonMobil had not handed over its report on how the company managed mercury waste. "We are still waiting for a report from the company," he said.
Expert said the release of mercury in to the atmosphere could cause severe health problems to both humans and wildlife.
Mercury has many toxic effects. One long-term effect is can reduce the intellectual capacity of humans due to the effects of mercury exposure on the developing nervous system of unborn babies and young children.
Meanwhile, senior officials from the US Department of State held a meeting with officials from the Environment Ministry to discuss mercury issues Thursday. "We discussed the planned mercury convention. But, we did not talk about the finding of mercury in soil of Exxon's formers workshop and warehouse facility in Aceh," Imam said.
The countries across the world plan to sign a legally binding treaty aimed to regulate the use and production of mercury, which will be discussed in Japan next year. (*)