POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has confirmed that President Joko Widodo has ordered the immediate issuance of a presidential regulation to expedite the recovery of environmental damage caused by mining activities.
"A lot of evidence shows that post-mining impacts are not well managed and this clearly causes widespread pollution and environmental damage," Minister Nurbaya explained in her policy briefing at the ministry building (Aug 19) after a ministerial zoom meeting led by Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment.
"In fact, there are still many post-mining operations in which reclamation and recovery have not been carried out, which have resulted in environmental damage, casualties and disturbances to the right to life," she emphasized.
The minister pointed out that post-mining impacts which are not properly managed and left to be without any efforts at reclamation and recovery have led to huge economic and social losses, as well as harm to health and environmental and ecosystem resources.
"Good mining operations, both those managed by companies and communities, have been proven to make important contributions to the economy at various levels. This presidential regulation will address irresponsible post-mining practices,” she cautioned.
The two post-mining spots seen below, identified by the ministry in East Kalimantan province, are part of the locations targeted for accelerating the environmental recovery of post-mining damage.
Minister Nurbaya emphasized that the main objective of accelerating the recovery of environmental damage due to post-mining operations is to restructure the implementation of reclamations, the rehabilitation of watersheds, the review of permits/mining operations, as well as the handling of community mining.
"There will be no legal whitewashing of the obligations of companies or other mining operators when it comes to accelerating reclamations and the recovery of post-mining operations," she warned.
Recovery acceleration stages
Adding to the explanation in the policy briefing, the Ministry's Director General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control MR Karliansyah said that the companies or other mining operators subject to restructuring include those with permits and those without.
He explained that the presidential regulation would regulate the stages of accelerating the recovery of environmental damage due to post-mining operations.
“The inventorizing of locations for accelerated recovery is ongoing. This will be followed by the determination of targets for the acceleration of recovery and then implementation," the general director elaborated.
"This will also be backed up by monitoring and evaluation measures, as well as other relevant follow-up steps," he added.
Karliansyah went on to say that the implementation of the acceleration of post-mining recovery also involves, among other things, the evaluation and collection of funds for reclamation and post-mining guarantees, including instructions that environmental recovery due to post-mining impacts be accelerated.
At the end of the policy briefing, Minister Nurbaya underlined that law enforcement also forms part of the measures that will be used to hasten the environmental recovery of post-mining operations.
"High-resolution satellite images based on a representative time-series will also be used to ensure that mining companies and activities fulfill their reclamation obligations, as well as any other relevant post-mining obligations," she added.
"There are five provinces with the most problematic mining permits. These are among our priorities, in addition to other provinces that are also focused on accelerating the recovery of post-mining operations," Minister Nurbaya said in conclusion.
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POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has confirmed that President Joko Widodo has ordered the immediate issuance of a presidential regulation to expedite the recovery of environmental damage caused by mining activities.
"A lot of evidence shows that post-mining impacts are not well managed and this clearly causes widespread pollution and environmental damage," Minister Nurbaya explained in her policy briefing at the ministry building (Aug 19) after a ministerial zoom meeting led by Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment.
"In fact, there are still many post-mining operations in which reclamation and recovery have not been carried out, which have resulted in environmental damage, casualties and disturbances to the right to life," she emphasized.
The minister pointed out that post-mining impacts which are not properly managed and left to be without any efforts at reclamation and recovery have led to huge economic and social losses, as well as harm to health and environmental and ecosystem resources.
"Good mining operations, both those managed by companies and communities, have been proven to make important contributions to the economy at various levels. This presidential regulation will address irresponsible post-mining practices,” she cautioned.
The two post-mining spots seen below, identified by the ministry in East Kalimantan province, are part of the locations targeted for accelerating the environmental recovery of post-mining damage.
Minister Nurbaya emphasized that the main objective of accelerating the recovery of environmental damage due to post-mining operations is to restructure the implementation of reclamations, the rehabilitation of watersheds, the review of permits/mining operations, as well as the handling of community mining.
"There will be no legal whitewashing of the obligations of companies or other mining operators when it comes to accelerating reclamations and the recovery of post-mining operations," she warned.
Recovery acceleration stages
Adding to the explanation in the policy briefing, the Ministry's Director General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control MR Karliansyah said that the companies or other mining operators subject to restructuring include those with permits and those without.
He explained that the presidential regulation would regulate the stages of accelerating the recovery of environmental damage due to post-mining operations.
“The inventorizing of locations for accelerated recovery is ongoing. This will be followed by the determination of targets for the acceleration of recovery and then implementation," the general director elaborated.
"This will also be backed up by monitoring and evaluation measures, as well as other relevant follow-up steps," he added.
Karliansyah went on to say that the implementation of the acceleration of post-mining recovery also involves, among other things, the evaluation and collection of funds for reclamation and post-mining guarantees, including instructions that environmental recovery due to post-mining impacts be accelerated.
At the end of the policy briefing, Minister Nurbaya underlined that law enforcement also forms part of the measures that will be used to hasten the environmental recovery of post-mining operations.
"High-resolution satellite images based on a representative time-series will also be used to ensure that mining companies and activities fulfill their reclamation obligations, as well as any other relevant post-mining obligations," she added.
"There are five provinces with the most problematic mining permits. These are among our priorities, in addition to other provinces that are also focused on accelerating the recovery of post-mining operations," Minister Nurbaya said in conclusion.
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