Many industrial companies in East Java do not treat their waste

Overshadowed by the environmental pollution caused by the spewing out of hot mud at a drilling site owned by PT Lapindo Brantas Inc, pollution problems caused by other industrial companies in East Java seem to be forgotten. This type of pollution has indeed caused serious damage to nature, especially given the fact that most companies in East Java do not apply proper waste-treatment systems. The pollution in East Java has been worsened by the pollution caused by the methane gas emitted by the hot mud outburst in the Lapindo project.

Prigi Asidanci, chairman of Ecoton, a non-governmental environmental organization, and Ridho Syaiful Ashadi, the executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) East Java chapter, confirmed this condition in an interview with The Jakarta Post on Feb. 26 in Surabaya.

"Since the Lapindo hot mud case became headline news, the public and law enforcers seem to have forgotten about pollution cases involving other companies even though these cases are more serious than the Lapindo case," Prigi said.

According to data compiled by Ecoton, there are 23 pollution cases in East Java, the handling of which has become uncertain since the Lapindo case hit the public arena. Investigations into these cases have neither stopped nor continued. This is indirectly tantamount to simply allowing acts of environmental pollution. "These pollution cases involve companies located along the Brantas and Surabaya rivers and have been going on for many years," he said.

According to the data released by Ecoton on the basis of routine monitoring conducted by Perum Jasa Tirta I Malang throughout 2006, seven companies have violated quality standards. "In fact, violations by these industrial companies should serve as sufficient proof for the police or the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) to make arrests on charges of environmental pollution," Prigi noted.

The seven companies are mainly food companies.

Meanwhile, as for the pollution of Surabaya River, Ecoton suspects that it is caused by companies located in Gresik regency that dump waste into the river. This pollution is serious as it involves hazardous heavy metals such as copper. "Unfortunately, this serious condition seems to go on unheeded. We believe that the quantity of this hazardous substance continues to increase," Prigi said.

Ecoton's warning is not unfounded because most industrial companies in East Java do not possess a Liquid Waste Dumping Permit (IPLC), as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 82/2001. This regulation states that every company producing liquid waste must possess an IPLC from a municipal or provincial administration. "Paper mill PT Jaya Kertas, for example, is still operating without an IPCL. In fact, the Surabaya District Court has passed a guilty verdict on this company," Prigi added.

There are 425 companies located along the Brantas river basin. Ninety-four of them are located along the Surabaya River. Most of these companies dump waste into the river. "These companies intentionally chose this location so that they could easily collect water and dispose of their waste in the river," Prigi said.

It is now time, therefore, for the East Java provincial administration to determine the river pollution-bearing capacity (DBPS) in East Java, just as the West Java provincial administration did with the Ciliwung River. "Following the stipulation of the DBPS of the Ciliwung River, there has been a large-scale relocation of companies located in the river basin areas. Although pollution still occurs, its volume has been much reduced," he said.

Besides liquid waste, Walhi East Java, as stated by its executive director, Ridho Syaiful Ashadi, suspects that companies in East Java also dump solid and gas waste. This is especially the case in regard to industrial undertakings producing waste that cannot be broken down further. "There are still a lot cases of odor-related pollution and as yet no standards have been set for odor," Ridho said.

Factories producing ammonia, for example, almost certainly produce a very bad odor. The effect of pollution of this type has long-term effects. "At first, people notice the unpleasant smell of ammonia but after a time they get used to it. This is very dangerous," he said. It is not impossible that locals living around this factory will eventual have neural damage.

Take, for example, the eruption of hot mud in East Java. At first, the public was outraged by the bad odor that accompanied the hot mud. However, as time passed, they got used to it. "In fact, this unpleasant odor is methane gas, which is very hazardous. If this gas accumulates in the body over a period of time, it will be very hazardous," Ridho said.

"You can imagine how much methane gas has been emitted since the hot mud started spewing out last year," he said.

Just as dangerous is the panic the government has created over the worsening investment climate in East Java as a result of the mud catastrophe. There are indications that the East Java provincial administration allowed as many investors as possible to come to this province by relaxing regulations, including the regulation requiring a company to have its own waste treatment plant.

"That a new steam power station has been built in Pacitan is evidence of this. The company that owns this power station has yet to obtain an environmental impact analysis but the presidential decree on its establishment has been issued," Prigi said.