Exxon told to clean up mercury at its old site

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 08/26/2010 8:52 PM

The Environment Ministry is officially ordering liquid natural gas producer ExxonMobil clean up mercury found in soil at the company’s former warehouse facility in Hueng village, North Aceh.

The order was made during a closed-door meeting with representatives from ExxonMobil Indonesia at the ministry’s office Thursday.

“We told [ExxonMobil] about our mercury-pollution finding. We also ordered it to clean the soil from mercury,” said Rasio Righo Sani, assistant deputy for management of hazardous waste from mining activities, who chaired the meeting.

He said that representatives from ExxonMobil, however, declined to sign the minutes of the meeting.

“But in principle, they expressed their readiness to help the local administration clean the area from mercury,” he said.

ExxonMobil has said that mercury in the soil of the company’s former workshop and warehouse facility did not come from the company.

“ExxonMobil is ready to cooperate with the local administration and related parties, including the Environment Ministry, to handle the [mercury] problems,” public affairs vice president of ExxonMobil Indonesia told The Jakarta Post.

US-based ExxonMobil handed over the land to the North Aceh administration last year.

Related Articles:

Mercury found at old Exxon site

Indonesia to Seek $2.2 billion in Damages for Timor Sea Oil Spill