PEKANBARU, CERINEWS.ID – Environmental Lawsuit Efforts by the Indonesian Forest Destruction Prevention Agency (LPPHI) against PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia as Defendant I, SKK Migas as Defendant II, Ministry of Environment and Forestry as Defendant III and Riau Environment and Forestry Service as Defendant IV, based on the findings and facts of hundreds of locations in the Oil and Gas Working Area of the Rokan Block in Riau Province which were contaminated with toxic hazardous waste (B3) and oil-contaminated soil (TTM).
This was stated by LPPHI Legal Team Member Perianto Agus Pardosi SH to reporters, Tuesday (23/11/2021) in Pekanbaru.
“Not only that, considering the dangerous impact of TTM B3 waste on public health, on the advice of the Coordinator of the Legal Team, Dr. Augustinus Hutajulu, SH.CN. MHum, LPPHI then conducted a sample test of waste and flora and fauna in the Rokan Block Oil and Gas Working Area. in a laboratory that has been accredited by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry,” explained Perianto.
According to him, the laboratory results are very surprising and worrying, because according to laboratory results and expert analysis, 29 of 34 samples of fish organs that have been damaged due to contamination with petroleum, at least nine types of heavy metals, have been found. Therefore, it is very dangerous if the fish are eaten by the public.
“Sampling is carried out by certified laboratory officers together with experts and witnessed by officers from government agencies. The sampling procedure in the field is also in accordance with the standard sampling methodology. The sample results have also been analyzed by experts on pollution and environmental damage,” said Perianto.
The detected metals contaminating the samples included dissolved copper (Cu), dissolved manganese (Mn), dissolved iron (Fe), and dissolved mercury (DHg).
In addition, the samples were also proven to have been contaminated with dissolved Cadmium (Cd), dissolved Cobalt (Co), dissolved Nickel (Ni), dissolved Lead (Pb) and dissolved Zinc (Zn).
“Not only these metals, a number of compounds were also detected in soil and water samples, including Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene and Total Xylene,” he said.
Then, at several locations in the Rokan Block Working Area, plant tissue samples were also taken, which were then analyzed in the laboratory.
“The results of the laboratory analysis, all of the plant tissue contains heavy metals, is evidence of the impact of petroleum pollution which has been contaminating the environment for a long time,” he concluded.
LPPHI Rejects Mediation
In relation to the Environmental Lawsuit, previously LPPHI as the plaintiff had rejected reconciliation with all the Defendants. The mediator judge of the Pekanbaru District Court also at the mediation which took place last Thursday (18/11/2021), had declared the mediation process failed.
Following the failure to reach the peace agreement, LPPHI stated that it refused to make peace with all the defendants because the Defendants did not want to form an Independent Supervisory Team in the environmental restoration process to oversee the appointment of the implementing contractor and the restoration process.
LPPHI insists on forming a Supervisory Team considering the practice so far, although CPI always claims to have made a recovery under the supervision of SKK Migas and KLHK, but as has been reported in various media and is included in the lawsuit posita, what CPI calls recovery according to the laws and regulations turns out to be mere restoration. The proof is that the waste still exists in community gardens, forests and the environment.
That is why LPPHI requires the existence of an Independent Supervisory Team that will be tasked with encouraging the seriousness of Defendant I and Defendant II to immediately restore environmental functions in the Rokan Block Oil and Gas Working Area with effective and efficient recovery methods in accordance with MoEF Regulation Number 6 of 2021.(*)
