Total denies polluting shrimp farm in East Kalimantan
Monday, January 8 2001 - 05:00 AM WIB
French oil and gas company Total Indonesie has denied the allegation the its seismic survey had caused pollution in the shrimp farm owned by a villager of Handil Sembilan, Muara Jawa Ilir district, East Kalimantan, leading to a drop in the output of the farm.
Company communication department stated that the company had conducted the seismic survey from 1998 to 1999, while, based on the interview with the villager identified as Nurung last month, the farm's output had been declining prior to the period.
Total said during the interview, Nurung told the company that he had started the shrimp business in 1994, local daily Suara Kaltim reported.
The 14-hectare shrimp farm produced between 800 and 1,000 kilograms in one harvest season in the first years, but the shrimp output dropped to between 600 and 800 kilograms in 1995.
It continued making losses since 1997, Total said.
Thus, the decline in the farm's output was already evident before the company did its seismic survey from 1998 to 1999, the company added.
The company explained that it had conducted blasting 20 meters under the surface of the ground and empirical experience revealed that the impact of the blasting was small, if any, on the surface of the ground, the company said.
Based on the study made by Total's experts, the drop in the shrimp farm's output was caused by an overuse of fertilizer, noting that Nurung used 1.5 tons of fertilizer in one farming season.
Nurung earlier told the daily that the production of its shrimp farm started to decline one month after Total conducted its survey.
He suspected that his farm had been polluted by the waste of the dynamite used by Total in its seismic survey, calling on to make a study to assure whether or not the decline in his farm was caused by the impacts of the company's seismic survey.
Nurung said the company had planned to pay compensation to the villagers, who own lands used by Total to conduct its seismic survey, but there was no follow-up to the plan.
However, Total said it had paid the compensation to the villagers through PT Alico after concerned parties, including local fish farmers, local government, Total and state oil and gas company Pertamina, agreed upon the amount of compensation.
The company said it would find out if Nurung was one of the villagers, who had been given the compensation. (*)