DKI Provincial Government Again Sanctions Two Coal Dust Polluting Companies

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency has again imposed administrative sanctions under coercion by the government on two companies responsible for polluting coal dust in Marunda Flats, North Jakarta.

This proves that the perpetrators of air pollution due to loading and unloading activities in the port area are not only caused by one company, namely PT KCN, but also PT HSD and PT PBI.

The Head of the DKI Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto said, based on the results of environmental compliance monitoring of PT HSD and PT PBI, the two companies engaged in loading and unloading bulk goods at the Marunda Port were proven to have violated the laws and regulations in the environmental sector and did not carry out the obligations in the environmental document.

Therefore, continued Asep, the North Jakarta Environmental Sub-Department on March 31, 2022, had imposed administrative sanctions which were handed over to the two companies on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.

"We hope that with this sanction, environmental pollution in Marunda can be handled and environmental management by business activities there can be better. We will monitor the progress of the implementation of various recommendations for improvement in the sanction decree every 14 days", Asep said in his statement, Tuesday, April 5.

Asep emphasized that if the two companies do not implement and ignore the recommendations for improvement according to the timeframe in the Sanctions Decree, then administrative sanctions can go to the next stage, starting from freezing permits to revocation of environmental permits.

Furthermore, Asep emphasized that the Environmental Service carried out fair supervision and investigation.

"We are neutral in principle. We carry out surveillance and investigations fairly and only look at it from a technocratic perspective on the environment", he said.

Previously, the Government had imposed administrative sanctions on PT KCN. PT KCN was ordered to improve its environmental management and not pollute the environment with 32 items that must be done.

However, it turned out that PT KCN did not want the company to be blamed alone for the air pollution. A spokesperson for PT KCN, Maya S. Tunggagini, stated that there are eight ports with loading and unloading activities for bulk commodities in the supporting area of the Main Port, namely the Tanjung Priok International Port.

The eight ports are located at several points along the banks of the Blencong River and around Marunda, Cilincing, and Bekasi which are known as ports in the Marunda area. Therefore, this coal dust pollution, according to Maya, needs to be investigated thoroughly.

"The dynamics related to the issue of coal dust pollution that affects Marunda residents need further investigation to find the truth and facts. We suspect that there are parties who have interests and tend to play the issue of coal dust only with KCN Port", Maya said.