PT Jorong does not meet reclamation standards

Coal mining firm PT Jorong Barutama Greston, a subsidiary of Thai energy conglomerate Banpu Plc, has failed to meet the government?s requirement in the reclamation of its mining locations in Tanah Laut, South Kalimantan, Banjarmasin Post reported on Saturday.

?Based in our monitoring, the company?s mining operations in several locations violated regulation. They did not meet the reclamation requirement imposed by the government,? said Sofyan Asli, the head of the mining department at the Tanah Laut regency, South Kalimantan.

The company?s mining activities were just like those operated by illegal mining companies, he said, adding that the local mining office had opposed the company?s rehabilitation works due to such a problem.

Although PT Jorong claimed that the devastated mining areas were those left by illegal coal miners, the company should be responsible because they were located in its mining areas, Sofyan said.

?We don?t want the government to take the responsibility of the company?s reclamation works,? he said. (*)