PT KEM responsible for restoring environment till 2007

Gold miner PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM) in Kutai Barat district, East Kalimantan, is required to restore the environment in its mining concession until year 2007 although it will ends its mining activities in the area in year 2004.

According to the head of the Environmental Impact Management Agency's (Bappedal) East Kalimantan branch, Lilik Djuhari, KEM disposes its gold mining waste and tailing to Namuk Dam, from which the waste flows through Mahakam and Kelian rivers.

Speaking at a hearing with the East Kalimantan legislative body's commission VIII on mining and energy, Lilik said his office inspected KEM's environmental management system every three months to ensure that the company complies with the prevailing rulings.

Nevertheless, Lilik said the supervision over environmental issues would be given to regencies following the implementation of autonomy law in year 2001.

The hearing was led by Commission VIII chairman Tobagus Haryono, while the team from the East Kalimantan administration was led by governor Suwarna AF.

Suwarna said at the hearing that the handling of environmental problems by mining corporations in East Kalimantan was still at below par level. Many companies were reluctant to reclaim the areas they had mined.

The governor suggested that the funds to reclaim the abandoned mining areas should not be given to companies, but directly to regencies. This way, the regencies would be more responsible with sustainability of their areas. (*)