Environment Ministry Readies Multi-layered Sanctions Against Air Pollution Violators

TEMPO.CO, Karawang, West Java - The Task Force for Regional Air Pollution and Control from the Environment and Forestry Ministry is increasing the intensity of supervision and preparing multi-layered legal steps for activities suspected of being a source of air pollution in the Greater Jakarta area.

"Suspected activities can be carried out by corporations or the public. Therefore, multi-layered supervision and legal measures will be applied to those who violate," the head of the Task Force, Rasio Ridho Sani, said in a phone call on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

He noted that the task force currently consists of more than 100 environmental impact supervisors and controllers and is supported by environmental laboratory analysts. The task force has carried out 32 inspections of industrial activities in the Greater Jakarta area.

Sani added that the supervision is carried out in Karawang, Bekasi, Bogor, Tangerang, South Tangerang, North Jakarta, and East Jakarta.

He explained that the targets of monitoring are industrial activities that have the potential to cause air pollution or public reports, including coal stockpiles, steam power plants, factories operating boiler and steam power plants, and factories producing food, pulp and paper, plastics, textiles, metal smelting, the chemical industry, glass, concrete, and plastic manufacturing.

According to him, the task force has carried out a temporary suspension of 13 industrial activities, given administrative sanctions to eight industrial activities, and is in the process of giving administrative sanctions to nine industrial activities.

The task force is also investigating two industrial activities and monitoring 13 industrial activities, he continued.

Sani conveyed that monitoring and law enforcement steps are directly carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, which acts as the second layer of monitoring and/or law enforcement.

This is in accordance with Article 22 Number 17 of Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning the determination of government regulations in lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning job creation.

He addressed the fact that in following up on monitoring results, the task force used all law enforcement instruments within the authority of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and local governments to reduce air pollution.

"I have ordered the Director of Criminal Law Enforcement to immediately carry out an inquiry and investigation process, as well as ordering the Director of Dispute Resolution to prepare a civil lawsuit for environmental compensation using a strict-liability (absolute responsibility) approach," he disclosed.

ANTARA

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