PT Badak NGL meets legislators to clarify pollution charges

East Kalimantan?s liquefied natural gas producer PT Badak NGL fulfilled on Wednesday the summon of the Bontang district Council over environmental pollution charges, the local Kaltim Post daily reported.

The paper said that several of Badak management met with a group of legislators to clarify the issue.

The company denied all the charges. It said that the company?s waste material was below the tolerable level. It added that the company had been active in protecting the environment and minimizing the impact of its waste materials.

Earlier, the fishermen of the Pulau Selangan Island accused that the local fish had died due to the waste materials either coming from Badak NGL or coal mining company PT Indominco Mandiri. The accusation was confirmed by a preliminary test conducted by the Mulawarman University. The Island is located between the operation of the two companies. The Bontang Council then summoned Badak and Indominco Mandiri following complaints from the Selangan Island people.

The main source of living of the Selangan people is fishing.

The legislators suggested the Council, the local Bontang administration, and the company to visit the island and make direct investigation.

Meanwhile, the Council said that it would issue a second summon to Indominco. Legislator Rusdin Abdau said that if the company declined to meet with the Council, the latter could force the company according to the existing mechanism.(*)