S. Kalimantan province studies mining moratorium

The South Kalimantan administration plans to assess the possibility of imposing moratorium on mining activities in the province on environmental concerns, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said the result of environmental quality assessment has placed the province in the second worst position in the terms of river water quality, but it did not idenfity the agency that had conducted the assessment.

Vice Governor Rudy Resnawan said the adminisration was set to undertake comprehensive study to ascertain the exact causes of the environmental destruction, believed to be caused by bad mining practices, in a bid to determine preventive measures to minimize the worst environmental impacts

In the meantime, the province's spokesman Herman said that the moratorium has not been decided and comprehensive study on mining needs to be executed to determine whether the moratorium is needed or not.

Previously, South Kalimantan Governor Rudy Ariffin voiced concerns over mining activities on Laut island, Kota Baru regency, saying the mines were better to be closed if the concession owners failed to meet requirements, while asserting that mining licensing is the full authority of head of local government.

The Kotabaru regency has issued permits to at least five companies to carry out explorations on Laut Island, that is PT Sebuku Sejakah Coal, PT Baramega Cahaya Makmur, PT Sebuku Tanjung Coal, PT Sebuku Batubai Coal, PT Banjar Asri.(*)