Official recommends shut down of Merge Mining underground coal mine

Courtesy of Agritrade

Head of the South Kalimantan provincial administration?s Mining and Energy Office, Muhammad Asmin has recommended for the government to shut down the underground coal mine of PT Merge Mining Industry (MMI) in Rantau Bakula Village, Sungai Pinang District, Banjar Regency due to violation of standard operating procedure, according to a local report.

Asmin was quoted by local news portal Prokal.co as saying Thursday that MMI?s underground mine operation is believed to have caused ground cracks in local paddy fields. The company has also been accused of disposing liquid wastes to the local river.

The report said that the mining office, together with officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, had recently visited the underground mine. ?Following the visit, we?re disappointed and will recommend to the ministry to shut down MMI,? Asmin said, adding that the company has also failed to make proper report about the ground crack in local paddy fields.

MMI Public Relations Chief, Hasbi Saleh denied accusations that the company has disposed liquid waste to the local river, pointing out to the man-made lake developed by the company to collect the liquid waste.

MMI, a subsidiary of China?s Merge Mining Holding Ltd, which operates a more than 971-ha concession in Banjar Regency, has developed a 3-km tunnel but has yet to start production from the underground coal mine. ?Production will start soon, but in the meantime our activities have been suspended,? Hasbi said. (*)