Senior lawmaker supports plan to exploit coal at Soeharto Hill

Deputy speaker of the Kutai Kertanegara regency legislative council (DPRD) M. Rusmin expressed his support on plans to exploit the huge coal reserves at the Soeharto Hill forest conservation area despite protest from environmentalist groups.

He was quoted by the local Kaltim Post daily as saying that the Kutai Kertanegara administration, in East Kalimantan, should proceed with plans to exploit the coal potential, estimated at around 150 million tons, because it would help curb forest fire in the area.

Rusmin added that in the era of regional autonomy, the local Kutai Kertanegara administration had full authority over the local mining sector.

Coal has been seen as one factor causing massive forest fires in the area during the past few years.

But environmentalists have argued that conducting mining activities in the Soeharto Hill would cause serious environmental damage particularly drying up water reserves in a number of river including the country?s largest river called the Sungai Mahakam river.

The Soeharto Hill is a major water catchments area.

The report also said that the Kutai Kertanegara administration is currently discussing the plans to exploit the coal potential in the Soeharto Hill. Regent Syaukani HR was quoted by the paper as also saying that several local cooperatives had obtained license to mine the area.(*)