WALHI: PT Vale's Oil Pollution Should Be Legally Processed

The South Sulawesi Environmental Forum (WALHI) assessed that the leakage of the PT Vale Indonesia oil pipeline which resulted in extraordinary environmental pollution in irrigation areas, rivers and rice fields in five villages in Towuti District, East Luwu Regency, should be prosecuted.

"This is extraordinary environmental pollution with the category of serious violations and should be prosecuted. The government must be brave and serious, indiscriminate against companies committing environmental pollution, it must be sanctioned," said WALHI Executive Director of South Sulawesi Al Amin at a press conference in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 26.

WALHI emphasized that the oil pipe leak could not be considered an ordinary negligence, but an extraordinary negligence. This is because this incident has criminal and civil legal consequences because the impact is felt directly by the community.

Amin emphasized that the government should not hesitate to impose harsh sanctions on PT Vale Indonesia, such as the revocation of environmental permits, as well as the revocation of certificates or Green Proper to the mining company for that case.

So far, PT Vale has received the Green Proper award every year or the Company's Performance Rating Assessment Program in Environmental Management from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) because its environmental performance exceeds the standard of propriety.

"You can imagine the impact, the river that has been used by the community and rice fields has become a source of polluted life," he said.

Amin said that the apology submitted by PT Vale Indonesia's management to the public, including replacing the loss, could not be interpreted as a problem of completion.

"This country is a state of law. Everything must be processed legally," he said.

"There is no mercy for PT Vale Indonesia, it must be strongly sanctioned by the state. Referring to Law Number 32 of 2009 and the Environmental Cluster Job Creation Act, this company should be subject to heavier sanctions," he said.

"We also ask and urge the Ministry of LKH, the KLHK Gakkum, and the National Police to take firm action against PT Vale Indonesia, which has actually carried out environmental pollution and polluted people's assets," he stressed.

PT Vale Indonesia's Response

Previously, PT Vale Indonesia's Head of External Relations Endra Kusuma confirmed that the oil pipeline leak incident in Lioka Village, Towuti District, East Luwu Regency occurred on Saturday, August 23, 2025.

His party activated emergency response procedures and dispatched Emergency Response Group (ERG) to the location and coordinated with the Towuti, BPBD, East Luwu DLH, police, and TNI sub-district governments.

"We see tremendous strength when the government, PT Vale and stakeholders work as a team. Technical action in the field to support women utilizing cooking kitchens for officers and volunteers in the field. This is part of the recovery energy," he said.