Kutai authority urged to review coal mining licenses

The legislative council of the Kutai Kartanegara regency in East Kalimantan has urged the local authority to review the coal mining licenses it had issued to mining investors, Kompas daily reported on Tuesday.

Irwan Muchlis, the secretary of the Commission II of the Kutai Kartanegara regency, said that the issuance of the coal mining licenses had been uncontrollable and had led to a serious damage in the environment.

Over a hundred of companies have been licensed to open coal mines in Kutai regency during the past six months.

He suspected the local regency's authority had issued the licenses even if the companies applying for the mining permits did not meet the requirements such as having strong financial backup. The activities of the existing mining companies have seriously damaged the environment, because many companies have refused to rehabilitate their former mining sites.

Irwan said that the mining licenses that had been issued should therefore be reviewed to bring back the regency's mining activities on the right track. Licenses given to unqualified companies should be revoked so that only companies which show a good respect to environment are allowed to resume their activities. (*)