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Depok firms risk losing permits over water pollution
Authorities have warned companies in Depok that they risk having their business permits revoked for polluting lakes or rivers, but the approach may be too soft to have much effect.
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The city administration of Depok in West Java has warned businesses over the pollution of rivers and lakes, such as Pladen Lake in Beji, seen here on Feb. 14. (Kompas.com/Cynthia Lova)
T
he city administration of Depok in West Java has warned companies that they may have their business permits revoked for polluting lakes and rivers.
The head of the Depok Environment and Sanitation Agency’s pollution control unit, Mohammad Isa, said the agency would gradually assess companies before imposing sanctions.
Companies operating near lakes and rivers in Depok were obliged to report the quality of wastewater after it was treated and prior to it being released into bodies of water.
If the wastewater failed to meet minimum quality standards, the city administration would give companies training on how to improve wastewater management. If they still failed to improve within a certain period of time, they would be required to hire an environment consultant to help them manage their wastewater.
“If there is no improvement in the wastewater quality, most likely we will revoke their business permit,” Isa said on Thursday, as reported by kompas.com.
The issue of water pollution surfaced recently after the agency found several lakes and rivers in the city mildly polluted. Most of the pollution, however, came from household waste, the study found.
The agency has studied seven lakes and six rivers so far, including Rawa Kalong, Gadog, Plade, Jatijajar, Baru River, Cijantung River and Sugutamu River
According to Law No. 32/2009 on environmental protection and management, the administration can impose administrative sanctions, including permit revocation, on parties proven to have violated environment regulations. (sau)
