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View all search resultsVale oil spill puts hundreds of hectares of farmland at risk
Officials estimate that at least 50 hectares of rice fields in South Sulawesi have been damaged and hundreds of ha may be impacted without prompt remediation.
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On the third day of an oil pipeline leak in Towuti district in East Luwu regency, South Sulawesi, PT Vale Indonesia deployed mitigation equipment and medical services while engaging local residents in recovery efforts. (PT Vale Indonesia Tbk/- )
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T Vale Indonesia, Indonesia’s second-largest nickel producer, is under scrutiny following an oil pipeline leak in South Sulawesi that has contaminated rivers and farmland.
The leak, detected on Tuesday in the village of Lioka in Towuti district, about 20 kilometers from Vale’s processing plant, has affected water sources and irrigation systems across five villages.
Local agriculture officials estimate that at least 50 hectares of rice fields in Lioka have been damaged, with more land in Matompi and Timampu at risk, warning that the contamination could impact hundreds of ha of farmland if containment measures take too long.
"There were indeed plans for the farmers to start working on their rice fields this week, but since the water is still contaminated, we have asked them to postpone,” said Mila Novitasari, an agricultural extension officer at East Luwu, was quoted as saying by news agency Antara on Wednesday.
The South Sulawesi chapter of environmental NGO Walhi urged the government to impose strict legal penalties.
"This is extraordinary environmental pollution in the category of a serious violation and should be prosecuted. The government must be brave and serious, indiscriminate against companies committing environmental pollution," said Al Amin, Walhi’s executive director, as reported by Antara on Thursday.
He warned that the consequences go far beyond technical failure, impacting vital resources for daily life.
