Kotabaru regency told to review coal exploitation in Pulau Laut

South Kalimantan Governor Rudy Ariffin said that the Kotabaru regency administration should reconsider the planned opening of coal mining operation on Pulau Laut given strong protest from the public.

"We hope the Kotabaru regency administration will listen to the people?s protest and re-evaluate the mining plan,? he said on Thursday.

Thousands of residents in Kotabaru staged a rally on Wednesday in front of the provincial legislative council building to oppose the plan to develop coal mines on Pulau Laut island.

The rally was made when the local environmental office was holding a meeting to approve the AMDAL or environmental impact analysis document for the development of five coal mines on the Pulau Laut island.

There are six coal mining licenses that have been issued by the local administration including for PT Sebuku Batubai Coal with a concession of 9,644 hectare (ha) located in North Pulau Laut, PT Sebuku Tanjung Coal 9,868 ha in Central Pulau Laut, PT Sebuku Sejakah Coal 25,101 ha in East Pulau Laut, PT Banjar Asri 1,396 ha in North Pulau Laut, PT Ikatrio Sentosa, and PT Silo.

Kotabaru Regent Sjachrani Mataja said in March 2010 that the coal mining project on Pulau Laut would press ahead of the coal deposits there reach more than 100 million metric tons. But if it?s less than that, the planned coal mining exploitation would be abandoned, he added. (*)