Permit Issuer for Lapindo New Drilling Remains Unknown
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Kamis, 1 Januari 1970 07:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - The government has ordered oil and gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas to suspend its new drilling plans in Sidoarjo, East Java. But the institution issuing the permit for Lapindo to prepare a new drilling near the center of the mudflow disaster remains unknown.
Ali Masyar, head of the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) for Java, Bali and Nusa Tengara, denied that his institution had urged Sidoarjo Regency administration to issue the permit for the plans. However, he admitted that he sent a letter to Sidoarjo Regent proposing for the permit.
“The letter contains an application for a permit,” Ali told Tempo at his office on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.
As a representative of the SKK Migas, Ali explained, his task was to handle technical affairs and the permit application related to the new drilling plan.
“But I think the SKK Migas has no capacity to urge [the local authority]. If we’re following the structural organization, it’s impossible,” Ali said, adding that his institution also facilitated company or contractor’s communications with Police.
Ali also mentioned about the unawareness of East Java Governor Sukarwo regarding Lapindo’s new drilling plans. According to Ali, the miscommunication was caused by internal issues at the Sidoarjo Regency administration and the provisional administration.
Earlier, the government issued an order to suspend Lapindo’s new drilling plans following Governor Soekarwo’s letter sent to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. The letter contains a request to schedule a meeting between the community, the central government and Lapindo to discuss a guarantee that the mudflow disaster would not recur.
Soekarwo asserted that the authority to issue the permit was held by the central government, in this case, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.
“The provincial administration has nothing to do with the permit. The permit is applied to the regency administration and the central government,” he said.
Yohanes Siswoyo, head of the Sidoarjo Environment Agency, revealed that the permit was issued by the Sidoarjo One-Stop Integrated Service agency in October 2015, following an approval from Sidoarjo Regent Saiful Ilah.
Meanwhile, the environmental management and monitoring (UKL-UPL) permits were issued on June 17, 2013 after Lapindo applied those permits two years earlier. Yohanes admitted that between 2013 and 2015 prior to the permit issuance, the SKK Migas put pressures on his institution.
“The SKK Migas sent two letters urging the permit to be issued immediately,” he said, adding that the letters were sent in 2014 and 2015.
WURAGIL | EDWIN FAJERIAL