Some miners may operate in protected forests
Wednesday, July 5 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Ministry of Plantation and Forestry had hinted that mining companies which received licenses prior to the issuance of the Forestry Law No: 41/1999 might be allowed to develop open-pit mine in protected forests despite the law's clauses that ban open-pit mining operations in the areas, a mining cutive said on Tuesday.
President of state-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) Dedy Aditya Sumanegara said the ministry's secretary general had hinted that the ministry mulled giving the exemption in the governmental regulation for the implementation of the Forestry Law that would be drafted by the ministry.
The mining industry, which finds the Forestry Law too burdensome, welcomes the ministry's plan, Deddy told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission VIII for mines and energy.
Deddy noted that Antam had no choices but developing its mining deposits through open-pit method due to the fact that the deposits were mostly located 20 meters below the surface.
"If the Forestry Law is implemented, hundreds of tons of nickel and bauxite would remain developed since between 70 and 80 percent of (Antam's) nickel and bauxite deposits are situated in the protected forests," Deddy said.
He also said Antam should cancel its expansion plan at its nickel mine in Sulawesi - and thus would lose a large amount of investment -- if the government banned open-pit mining operations in accordance with the Forestry Law.
President of nickel mining company PT International Nickel Indonesia (INCO) Rumengan Musu also supported Deddy's view, saying the issuance of the Forestry Law reflected the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Plantation and Forestry and other ministries, including Ministry of Mines and Energy.
He said the contract of work awarded by the government to INCO in 1968 did not contain clauses which ban it from developing its nickel deposits through open-pit method. (*)