Hot mudflow in Sidoarjo investigated by police
Friday, June 16 2006 - 12:59 AM WIB
East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Herman Surjadi Sumawiredja said on Thursday that police had summoned 27 people as witnesses, including six from the management of the gas exploration company PT Lapindo. Other witnesses included representatives from the oil and gas upstream regulatory agency (BP Migas), the environmental impact management agency (Bapedal) and the Association of Indonesian Geological Experts, he said.
?Based on the accounts of several witnesses, the police thought there must have been a human error in the exploration activities which led to the severe environmental pollution,? Herilian said.
He said that police were, still waiting for the results of a study on the mudflow by an independent team. The team was established by the government and involves representatives from universities and a forensic laboratory.
If the study showed the mudflow was caused purely by a natural disaster, the police would stop their investigation and Lapindo would not face legal action, he said
Lapindo?s general manager, Iman Agustino, said the mud was flowing not from the drilled well but from other sites about 150 meters and 500 meters away. He added that he expected a team from Lapindo and BP Migas to investigate the cause of the mysterious flow. ?We will not comment much on the police?s reasoning. Lapindo?s exploration activities are in line with existing procedures and have met the test of worthiness,? he said.
Imam said that Lapindo had done an environmental impact analysis for the well, and that the document had been endorsed by the Directorate General of Oil and Gas on Oct. 14, 2005. Imam?s remarks conflicted with an earlier statement by State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar that Lapindo?s exploration activities had not been backed by an adequate environmental impact analysis.
Meanwhile, a senior official at the Office of the State Minister for the Environment said on Thursday that his office and Lapindo had established a joint working program for the next three months to stop the spew of hot mud and toxic gas.
?We aim to contain further damage caused by the mud and gas by putting people?s safety first,? the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The expert on toxic waste management said his office and the company had agreed to dig two 12-hectare ponds to accommodate the 5,000 cubic meters of mud piling up in Porong district.
?The ponds will be available one or two days from now,? he said, adding that his team was organizing laboratory tests to find out what kinds of hazardous compounds may be contained in the mud and gas.
Environmental activists earlier said that the gas consisted of potentially deadly hydrogen sulfide, which could cause breathing problems. They also said the mud contained dangerous phenol compounds.
?We can?t confirm that yet,? he said, adding that laboratory results are expected next week. He added that the company is estimating the amount of compensation it will give to the people to compensate for the land and factories affected by the disaster.
He said to stop the flow, the company with the help of a Canadian consultant, will drill underground to create a so called ?killing well?. (*)