TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has removed coal residue, or FABA (Fly Ash and Bottom Ash), from the list of toxic and hazardous waste (B3 waste). FABA is the solid waste from coal combustion at coal-fired power plants (PLTU), boilers, and industrial furnaces used for construction raw materials.

The removal was stipulated through Government Regulation (PP) No. 22/2021 on the implementation of environmental protection and management, which is one of the derivative rules of the Job Creation Law.

“The drafting of PP 22 guarded by the Environment and Forestry Ministry takes a long process and finally it removes FABA from the toxic waste list,” said the Environment and Forestry Management Deputy from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Nani Hendriati, in an official statement in Jakarta on Thursday, March 11.

The coal waste was initially considered toxic and hazardous in PP 101/2014 on the toxic and hazardous waste management. The policy was revoked through PP 22 along with the other four PP.

Long before PP 22 was released, 16 associations from the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) made the request. “Because based on results of tests, FABA is not B3 waste,” said Apindo chairman Haryadi B. Sukamdani.

Thus, Haryadi concluded that FABA could be categorized as non-hazardous waste. “This is as applied in several countries, including the United States, China, India, Japan, and Vietnam,” he added.

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FAJAR PEBRIANTO