Pertamina dumps oil waste into Kelekar River, causing heavy pollution
Friday, October 27 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Environmental activists in South Sumatera have asked the production unit of the state owned oil company Pertamina in Prabumulih to stop dumping oil waste in Kelekar River, which has not only caused a heavy pollution in the river but has damaged farming areas, Kompas daily reported on Friday.
The environmental groups SPLP, Walhi and the local legal aid foundation LBH, said that the pollution, which has taken place for over 50 years, had caused a lot of suffering to over 8,000 families living near the river.
"The practice should be stopped and the company should be required to pay compensation to the affected residents," Soemarsono of SPLP said.
According to him, the local residents together with environmental advisory groups had demanded the state oil company to stop the practices but to no avail. Pertamina, for example, unilaterally delayed the meeting to discuss the way to stop the pollution into the river.
"It seems that Pertamina does not really care about the pollution in the Kelekar river. The company always tries to buy the time in settling the problem. " Soemarson said.
Hasyim Ali, the spokesman for Pertamina's local production unit, denied if the oil company had no good intention to settle the pollution problem. "We tried hard to stop dumping the oil waste into the river beginning November 1," he added.
He acknowledged that the company had not installed a waste processing plant but he added that such equipment would be installed within months. "Independent consultants have recommended a number of approaches to settle the problem including the use of the waste processing plant," he added.
About the compensation payment, he said Pertamina would negotiate the matter directly to the local residents, without the help of NGOs. (*)