Pertamina told to handle toxic waste in Balongan

The local government of the Indramayu regency, West Java has given state oil company Pertamina until December this year to handle and process more than 17,000 tons of toxic waste at the company's oil refinery plant in Balongan, Koran Tempo reported on Friday.

"The deadline has been made by Regent Irianto MS Syafie himself," said the local authority's spokesman Mulyono Martono.

The toxic waste which has been accumulated near the Balongan refinery plant for more than seven years should be immediately destroyed because they had caused health-related problems to the villagers, he said.

Pertamina official said that the company was still holding a tender to choose the right company to handle the processing of the hazardous waste. (*)