Govt to dump Lapindo mud into sea soon

Govt to dump Lapindo mud into sea soon

Lapindo Brantas Mud Settlement Team chief Basuki Hadimuljono said the government will dump the Lapindo mud into the sea pending a decision to be taken by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“Three pumps each with a capacity of 1,000 cu.m per hour have been installed in the Lapindo field,” he said before attending the cabinet meeting at the presidential office here on Wednesday.

He said the government had decided to dispose of the mud by dumping it into the sea because efforts to contain it in areas around the blowout had failed to stop the outflow of mud putting the local rsdients in danger.

He said the government had already considered the consquences of dumping the mud into the sea and concluded that it would not be harmful.

“Admittedly, the disposal of the mud into the sea will have an impact but it will not be dangerous because the mud does not contain hazardous substances,” Basuki said.

In the meantime, Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said his office could not prevent the government from disposing the mud into the sea even though it would have a polluting impact on the beach and the Porong river.

“The Environment Ministry is part of the government so that if the government decides to dispose of the mud into the sea, it cannot have its own agenda,” the minister said.

The minister admitted that the disposal of the mud into the sea would affect fishermen who used to fish in the sea around the mud disposal area.(*)

Copyright © 2006 ANTARA

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