South Kalimantan?s coal terminal restarts operation

PT Indonesian Bulk Terminal (IBT) has started the operation of its coal terminal on Laut Island off South Kalimantan Thursday after it agreed to meet several demands of the villagers who occupied the port for about a week.

?The operation was back to normal at 1 a.m. today,? terminal manager Purnomo told Petromindo.Com on Thursday via telephone from Laut Island.

?There are three bulk carriers, each capable of carrying 70,000 tons, are doing loading activities at the port. Two of the carriers will take the coal to Taiwan, another one to the Suralaya power plant in West Java,? Purnomo explained.

The villagers of Gosong Panjang occupied the port last Thursday following a dispute over the alleged ash pollution caused by the port. The action forced IBT to suspend loading activities at the port.

The villagers demanded compensation for the ash from the port, which they claimed have made their lives miserable.

IBT has agreed to finance the relocation of the 300 families of the village to somewhere else but the relocation plan stalled after the villagers demanded many facilities in the new village, which the company considered affordable.

Purnomo said IBT had agreed to meet some of the villagers? demand but he did not specify.

IBT, which is a sister company of coal mining company PT Adaro Indonesia, is used by several coal companies in Kalimantan, including Adaro and PT Arutmin Indonesia, as the terminal for their coal shipment to domestic and foreign buyers. (Alex)