TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Pertamina sanctioned over Balikpapan oil spill
Change Size
Heavily polluted: A worker cleans up Benua Patra Beach on April 2, after a nearby oil spill in Balikpapan Bay caused pollution in the area. The old spill, which led to the deaths of five people and saw a state of emergency declared, was caused by a ruptured undersea pipe. (AFP/-)
T
he Environment and Forestry Ministry has imposed administrative sanctions on state oil and gas company Pertamina over an oil spill incident that caused pollution and damage to the ecosystem of Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan.
The ministry’s law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said three steps needed to be fulfilled by Pertamina.
“I signed the administrative sanctions for Pertamina last week. As one of the three steps, we asked Pertamina to make improvements to its exploration safety management,” he said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Monday. Among the requirements is the submission of data on areas where Pertamina's operations face similar oil spill risks.
(Read also: Systemic weaknesses behind oil spill)
The ministry also asked Pertamina to carry out an environmental audit to identify the problems it faced and to determine ways to solve them.
Pertamina must also take responsibility for areas affected by the oil spill. Rasio said the ministry had obtained detailed data on the polluted areas.
“We have ordered Pertamina to rehabilitate locations still contaminated with oil, such as beaches."
In addition to administrative sanctions, Pertamina will have to pay compensation for losses caused by the oil spill. The ministry said, however, that it had yet to determine an exact amount for the losses and environmental damage caused by the incident.
“Regarding the compensation figure in the civil law suit we will file against Pertamina, our team in the field is still conducting calculations,” Rasio said. He said the losses would include damages to the ecosystem, such as to mangrove forests and beaches. (ebf)
