The KLH Gakkum Team Down Mount Investigate The Case Of The Waste Fuel Tofu Factory In Sidoarjo

Illustration of the tofu factory in the area of Tandang, Semarang (Erlin Yuliana-Hafiidha Ainun Febriani-Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment (LH) and Head of the Indonesian Environmental Control Agency (BPLH) Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that they had deployed the KLH Law Enforcement Team (Gakkum) to handle the case of a waste-fueled tofu factory in Sidoarjo, East Java.

"Yes, we have sent a Gakkum Team, we will ask everyone to handle it. So, the provincial government, the city government, must not be reckless," said Hanif on the sidelines of reviewing the Suwung TPA in Denpasar, Bali, Tuesday.

Previously, the Ministry of Environment (KLH) stated that it would immediately thoroughly review the alleged environmental pollution due to the production process of the tofu manufacturing and processing plant in Krian District, Sidoarjo, East Java.

Minister LH then asked after an examination by the Gakkum Team, no one else threw responsibilities.

"If that is the case, I will impose Article 112 on government officials who because of their negligence caused casualties, we will impose Article 112 of Law Number 32 of 2009," he said.

Minister of Environment and Forestry does not hesitate to use the Law on Environmental Protection and Management if anyone is proven to have violated it, including the case of the tofu factory in Sidoarjo.

In addition to law enforcement, KLH offers a solution to the case of the tofu factory, namely processing waste with biodIGester like they had built in Jombang.

"This biodigester was able to produce electricity to burn tofu earlier, this is running. So, we will try replication in Sidoarjo, this actually just needs our serious steps," he said.

The Minister of Environment and Forestry confirmed that the case of the tofu factory in Sidoarjo was still being followed by in-depth steps after returning to Jakarta.

However, Hanif has not taken action against entrepreneurs because it involves many people who need to be handled carefully.

"As soon as our team returns to Jakarta, I will take in-depth steps regarding this matter. However, we have written to the district and governor to seriously pay attention to this," said Hanif Faisol.

The case of using waste as fuel for tofu factories, which is linked to the news that there are still many imports of illegal waste from abroad, was also responded to by the Minister of Environment and Forestry.

He ensured that no illegal waste entered Indonesia because the state had banned imports of waste from abroad.

"I have stopped the operation of importing garbage, so later from Customs and Excise and friends who will be escorted, but from the Ministry of Environment since November it has stopped," he said.