PEKANBARU, URBANNEWS.ID – Judge Mediator of Environmental Lawsuits Indonesian Forest Destruction Agency (LPPHI) related to toxic hazardous waste (B3) oil contaminated soil (TTM) Rokan Block against PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia, SKK Migas, Minister of LHK and Riau LHK Service at the Pekanbaru District Court, Thursday (11/18/2021), stated that mediation had been completed and failed to achieve peace.
Judge Mediator Zulfadly SH MH stated that the schedule for the next main trial will be determined by the Panel of Judges hearing the case.
Regarding the results of the mediation, LPPHI stated that it rejected the attitude of Defendant I (CPI), Defendant II (SKK Migas), Defendant III (KLHK) and Defendant IV (DLHK) who at the mediation ceremony on November 17, 2021 wanted no environmental restoration supervisory team to be formed. LPPHI’s refusal was based on the following important reasons.
First, there are still at least 297 locations contaminated with TTM B3 waste due to PT CPI’s operations officially registered with the Riau Province DLHK, but there are still many that have not been recorded.
Second, since July 26, 2021, PHR has received an assignment from SKK Migas to recover B3 TTM waste inherited from PT CPI, but to this day it has not formed a special department or section to handle waste in the PHR organization. Therefore, we view that PHR is more focused and prioritized on maintaining the Rokan Block’s oil production rather than restoring environmental functions.
Third, there is confusion about who actually carried out the environmental audit which has been used as the basis for the HoA between PT CPI and SKK Migas, so that PT CPI is only charged with an obligation of USD 260 million and has been placed in the SKK Migas escrow account, after which PT CPI is released from all responsibilities. environmental restoration.
The confusion is based on the statement of the KLHK Attorney Yudi at a mediation event on November 17, 2021 at the Priemer Hotel Pekanbaru, in which Yudi essentially said that the audit was carried out on the orders of the KLHK but was carried out by PT CPI and the KLHK did not conduct an environmental audit.
If this statement is true, how can it be possible to measure the compliance of the waste producer with the existing regulations, by himself? Ironically, according to data from the Rakernis on August 12, 2021, the location data for TTM B3 waste from the audit results were only 234 locations, even though there were still many who passed the environmental audit activity.
Fourth, the Pekanbaru District Court has decided that LPPHI has legal standing to sue CPI, SKK Migas, KLHK, and the Riau Provincial Government for their negligence, meaning that LPPHI legally represents a polluted environment.
Fifth, the results of the analysis of several fish samples in laboratories that have been accredited by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, found damage to 29 fish organs out of a total of 34 fish samples due to B3 TTM CPI waste, so it will be dangerous for the health of the people who consume the fish. It is recommended that people in the working area of the Rokan block be careful in consuming their fish.
Because LPPHI has legal standing to represent the environment, including forest areas and part of community lands affected by the waste, LPPHI is very interested in the establishment of an independent supervisory team from various elements to ensure that the defendants can be responsible for restoring the environment according to regulations.
The proposal for the formation was based on a panel team that was formed by the government in 2007 when KLHK lost to a judge’s decision in suing PT Newmont Minahasa. Our assumption is that the defendants seem to have deliberately strayed from all regulations related to the environment and did not have good intentions to seriously resolve them.
Sixth, so far, CPI, SKK Migas, KLHK and DLHK Riau have been given all authority, power and even a budget by the state to protect the environment, especially in the Rokan Block from pollution, but in fact, until the end of PT CPI’s contract in the Rokan Block in August 8, 2021, TTM’s B3 waste still pollutes the Rokan Block working area. Looking at the performance of the Defendants so far, according to LPPHI, the chaotic handling of pollution will happen again in the future if there is no independent supervision.***
