DLHK Finds Negligence In Air Pollution At Tangerang Steel Disbursement Factory

Illustration - Officers from DLHK during an inspection of the activities of a steel smelting factory in the Millennium Industrial Estate. ANTARA/Azmi Samsul Maarif

TANGERANG - The Department of Environment and Hygiene (DLHK) of Tangerang Regency, Banten found negligence in indications of air pollution from the iron smelting plant owned by PT Power Steel Mandiri (PSM) and PT Power Steel Indonesia (PSI) located in the Millennium Industrial Estate.

Head of the Legal Development Section of the Tangerang Regency DLHK, Sandi Nugraha, said from the results of field checks and testing that the company or steel smelting plant is known to have 10 smelter furnaces equipped with hoods that function to capture dust and smoke emissions poured into teapots.

However, the dust or smoke emission in the production area caused by the hood's ability to smoke dust does not operate normally. Thus, air pollution occurs which has a direct impact on the surrounding community.

"And the situation got worse when there was a strong wind (usually in the middle of the day until the afternoon) which caused dust or smoke to reach the neighborhood around the factory," he explained as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, October 21.

In addition to finding negligence, the test team from DLHK also found five units of emission exhausts by not meeting the technical provisions of Kepdal No. 205 of 1996, namely sampling holes,wap codes, coordinates, and supporting facilities (ladders, safety fences, and platforms).

"But during our visit to the location, the company was making repairs to some of theils," he said.

Nevertheless, he continued, with the discovery of several violations or negligences committed by the company, his party will continue to supervise with a focus on monitoring improvements as well as improvements to air management as a result of the production activities of the steel smelting plant.

In addition, his party also requires companies to periodically report environmental documents according to existing conditions/in fact every 6 (six) months to the Tangerang Regency DLHK or through the KLHK Environmental Electronic Reporting System portal (SIMPEL).

"Companies are obliged to improve the performance of hoods that function to capture dust and smoke emissions poured into teapots (reservoir) to minimize dust or smoke emissions flying in production areas and the environment around factories," he said.

Previously, the people of Cibarengkok Village, Peusar Village, Panongan District, Tangerang Regency, Banten on Tuesday (17/10) complained about the pollution of toxic and hazardous waste (B3) which allegedly came from an iron smelting factory owned by PT Power Steel Indonesia in the Millennium Industrial Estate.