NGOs demand government to shut down Unocal

Prominent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) demand the government to shut down the operation of foreign oil and gas contractor Unocal Indonesia Co. in the Tanjung Santan area in East Kalimantan province and bring to court its management on grounds of committing environmental crime.

Chalid Muhammad, coordinator of the mining legal advocacy network (JATAM), said that during its 30 years of operation, Unocal had polluted the local environment and illegally implemented the so-called Bio Remediation System (BRA) waste management system.

Chalid criticized the authority for failing to take serious action against the violation, causing the public to suffer huge economic, social and health losses.

He was speaking in a press conference on Monday, which was also attended by the Indonesian environmental forum or popularly called Walhi.

The environmental problem of Unocal has reemerged recently after the local people was outraged when a February 11 flood overflow the company's waste which has been disposed into the local canal and paddy field.

Chalid said that after field observation and laboratory test, the waste turned out to contain materials beyond the tolerable level.

The environmentalists also charged Unocal of illegally exercising the BRA waste management system, which is only appropriate to be implemented in oil operation not directly linked to people settlement.

They said that there's no reason for the government not to close the Unocal operation in East Kalimantan. (*)