Pertamina in Riau defends pollution charge

The general manager for the operating unit of the state owned oil company Pertamina in Riau province Ali Soehardjo said on Thursday that the nine old oil tankers, which have caused pollution in the sea water in the Dumai port, were waiting for auction.

Alli said that the oil tankers were anchored near the port for auction but the auction could not be realized as originally scheduled due to long bureaucracy procedures the local Pertamina office should pass before launching the auction.

He said that the oil contamination in the local sea was still far below the maximum standard level because the oil spill did not come from the oil tanks but rather from the ship engines.

"All the ships'oil tanks of the nine ships have been cleaned from gas and oil before being anchored near the port," he said in a press briefing, which was also joined by senior officials of the provincial office of the Environmenatal Impact Management Agency (Bapeddal).

The old ships were placed in a safe place so that they would disturb the shipping traffic in the area, he said, adding that the old oil tankers have been categorized as scraps as most of its components could not be used any more. (*)