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Activists warn spill, radioactive risks from Australian vessel decommissioning
Activists called on the government to respond to the potential risk of oil, radioactive materials and toxins spilling into Indonesian waters from the Northern Endeavour vessel's decommissioning activities in the Timor Sea.
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Illustration of an oil spill (Shutterstock/Korelidou Mila)
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ctivists are warning that the decommissioning of an Australian vessel in the Timor Sea can potentially spill oil, radioactive materials and other toxins into the sea near Indonesia’s territorial waters.
The Australian government has announced the plans for the phase-one decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) in the Timor Sea about 155 kilometers off the coasts of Indonesia and Timor Leste.
The decommissioning include activities such as flushing or cleaning of the vessel’s topsides and subsea infrastructures, de-mucking of liquids with residue of “naturally occurring radioactive materials,” as well as towing the vessel to an undisclosed “international destination,” among others.
Fanny Tri Jambore, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) campaign manager for mining and energy issues, called on the Indonesian government to respond to the potential environmental harm into the Indonesian waters.
He said an in-depth study and consultation with Indonesia should be done to make sure that there would be no damages to the local environment and community stemming from the decommissioning activities.
“This decommissioning process should also involve the traditional owners of the islands around the Timor Sea and the Indonesian government,” Fanny said in a statement, on Friday.
He said Indonesia should be consulted as an oil spill had happened previously affecting the thousands of residents of Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
