T

he East Kalimantan administration has told mining company PT Adimitra Baratama Nusantara (ABN) to close an operational pit following a landslide that damaged a major road in Sanga Sanga district, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.

The company has been ordered to backfill the mining site, Pit 1, which is located only a few hundred meters from the road and residential areas.

A landslide occurred in the area on Nov. 29, destroying about 50 m of the road section connecting Sanga Sanga and Muara Jawa district. At least five houses and kiosks belonging to residents of neighborhood unit (RT) No. 09 in Kampung Jawa subdistrict were damaged. No casualties were recorded.

The landslide cut off the electricity and tap water supply. A number of residents living around the site also had to leave the area.

The East Kalimantan Energy and Mineral Resources Agency inspected the location for three days and issued the sanction on ABN after finding that the mine was too close to the road.

The company, a subsidiary of publicly listed PT Toba Bara Sejahtera, was also ordered to repair the road.

The sanction, however, was criticized by environmentalists and academics, who called it too lenient.

“According to the Mineral and Coal Mining Law, the agency could have banned mining and revoked the company’s mining license, to provide a deterrent effect,” said Herdiansyah Hamzah, an environmentalist and lecturer at Mulawarman University’s School of Social and Political Sciences, last week.

He referred to the law’s article 151 point 2, which stipulates that a mining company that violates the law can be punished with a formal reprimand, temporary closure to part of or the whole mining site, or revocation of licenses. Herdiansyah also said there was a potential violation in the issuance of the company’s mining permit, as it allegedly violated a forestry and environment regulation that requires a mining site to be located 500 m away from residential areas.

“Why was the license issued when the mine is that close to a residential area and the provincial road?”

Company representatives earlier said the mining site was located 200 m from the road.

East Kalimantan Mining Advocacy Network activist Pradarma Rupang said the sanction was in accordance with the law, but it should also have been applied to other mining companies operating in the area, as many also violate the distance requirement.

“The Energy and Mineral Resources Agency must check it. The safe distance for a mine from residential areas is a kilometer,” Rupang said.

Adi Prayitno of RT 09 Kampung Jawa said a group calling itself the Communication Forum of Sanga Sanga Residents for the Environment, in which he is also a member, had long questioned the distance violations.

Adi said the group had sent letters to the Sanga Sanga district head, East Kalimantan administration’s licensing division and energy and mineral resources agency.

“All gave no response.”

East Kalimantan Energy and Mineral Resources Agency mineral and coal division head Baihaqi said the sanction was firm enough and had been considered thoroughly.

“If the license is revoked, it will cause chaos,” he said, adding that many locals work for ABN while others make a living thanks to the company’s activities, such as through catering businesses, staple food suppliers, shops or cell phone top-up services.

ABN said it accepted the sanctions.

“We will obey, whatever the sanction is,” said the company’s external manager Bambang Takariyanto.