KPC to go ahead with Melawan mining plan

East Kalimantan based coal mining giant Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) said Friday that despite order from East Kutai regent to stop mining activities in its newly opened Melawan pit; its activities in the pit are still running normally.

?Coal mining activities are still running normally, because by regulation, production stoppage order must come from the central government. Beside, we have not received written order from the regency administration to stop mining activities,? said KPC spokesperson Nunik Maulana.

East Kutai regent Awang Faroek Ishak on Wednesday threatened to close down Melawan pit on the ground that the company must revise its environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) before it could go with its mining expansion. Awang said AMDAL must be revised because the company did not include Melawan expansion plan.

Nunik, however, said KPC did include Melawan mining plan in its AMDAL, but admitted that the expansion was earlier than scheduled. The company initially planned to expand its coal mining activities into Bengalon but due to efficiency reason, it changed the plan to Melawan.

?Therefore, according to regulation, we do not need to revise AMDAL, what we are looking to revise is environmental management plan and environmental monitoring plan, which are smaller in scope compared to AMDAL.?

Nunik said KPC had submitted RKL and RPL revision plan to East Kutai regency government and final decision is expected to be made March 6.

According to Nunik, Melawan pit had started commercial mining early this month and the plan is to produce 5 million of coal this year, ramping up to around 6 million in 2004. (alex)