Name : Niebras Haidhar S

Class : XII TLM

Palm oil waste: KLHK calls it harmless, Walhi accuses the

government of doing 'bleaching environmental crimes'
The government's decision to issue oil palm refining waste or spent bleaching
earth (SBE) from the category of hazardous and toxic materials (B3) has been
criticized by environmental activists because it is said to have sacrificed
community rights and the environment.

This is because, said Wahyu Perdana, the Manager of the Food, Water and
Essential Ecosystems Campaign at Walhi (Indonesian Forum for the Environment),
Wahyu Perdana, by releasing palm oil waste from the B3 category, the company can
escape the legal trap in case of pollution.

However, palm oil entrepreneurs claim that waste in the form of soil and containing
oil content below three percent is not toxic and can be used for building materials.
Meanwhile, the government ensures that monitoring of the waste will continue to be
carried out and if a violation occurs, it will be legally dragged away.
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The Director General of Waste, Waste and B3 Management at the Ministry of

Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, said that palm oil waste
released from the category of hazardous and toxic materials is a type of SBE or
spent bleaching earth.
The oil content of SBE, he said, has been extracted from 20% to less than three
percent.
These levels, technically and scientifically, no longer show the characteristics of
hazardous and toxic waste, continued Vivien.
"And it is easier to use because it no longer contains oil and heavy metals," said
Rosa Vivien to Quin Pasaribu who reported to BBC News Indonesia, via WhatsApp
message, Sunday (14/03).
"So even though it is not B3 waste, it still has to be managed according to
standards," he continued.
Caption,
A worker transports oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunches (TBS) from a raft in Rantau Bais
Village, Rokan Hilir, Riau, Monday (8/3/2021).
Even though the refined waste for cooking oil is in accordance with the provisions
that it is safe for the environment, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will
continue to supervise the management process.
Namely through environmental approval documents and business licensing.
If there is a violation, then law enforcement will be carried out.

What do the oil palm entrepreneurs say?

In line with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Deputy Chairman III of the
Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki), Togar Sitanggang, explained that spent
bleaching earth or SBE is refined waste used for processing cooking oil.
Shaped like soil that contains oil. Without processing, the oil contained in the waste
is around 20% and there is a possibility of 'burning itself' in certain weather or
conditions. For this reason, SBE is included in the category of hazardous and toxic
materials or B3 in accordance with Government Regulation Number 101 of 2014.
However, he claimed that in other countries, including Malaysia, SBE waste was no
longer considered B3 waste.
RA
Caption,
A number of trucks carrying palm oil crossed the provincial road of South Dumai
District, Dumai City, Riau, Tuesday (16/2/2021).
"SBE is not only used in Indonesia but all over the world and refineries for cooking oil
and crude oil use this kind of refining," Togar Sitanggang told the BBC.
"In European countries and Malaysia, SBE does not include B3 waste."
"But in Indonesia, because it is listed as B3, it must be processed and then
discarded."
In the latest Government Regulation, SBE waste is excluded from the B3 category,
namely those whose oil content is below three percent.
Togar claims that the waste is not dangerous based on research conducted by his
institution in collaboration with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
"We have conducted repeated studies including toxic levels. The results are proving
that they are not toxic."
"My guess is lowered to three percent so that there is no possibility of burning
yourself."
Moreover, he said, the waste in the form of land could be used for building materials
such as brick making rather than being dumped into piles of soil.

'Residents affected by pollution cannot sue'

The decision to release palm oil refining waste into cooking oil is stated in
Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of
Environmental Protection and Management.
This rule is a derivative of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.
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But the Campaign Manager for Food, Water and Essential Ecosystems at Walhi,
Wahyu Perdana, accuses the government of bleaching environmental crimes.
Research conducted by Walhi shows that SBE waste has been shown to affect soil
acidity levels, thereby disrupting the growth of surrounding plants.
That is why, said Wahyu Perdana, with the issuance of SBE from the B3 category,
residents affected by pollution can no longer sue legally as has been done so far.
Even though the risk of environmental pollution from this waste is quite high.

NPEACE
Caption,
Papua's primary forest is now starting to change its function to become oil palm
plantations. Photo taken in 2018.
"So if for example the waste is in accordance with quality standards, but the volume
and processing is careless and has an impact, the residents cannot sue. So that the
community's rights when there is pollution, will be increasingly difficult," said Wahyu
Perdana.
"This means that the right of citizens to complain is closed."
"Whereas in the past, if it was still in B3, there was absolute responsibility. People
could protest and sue."
That is why he urged the government to cancel the Job Creation Law, which
according to Walhi, sacrifices more people's rights and the environment rather than
providing labor and only benefits corporations.
"Is the production cost reduced? Yes, for sure, is it threatening the rights of other
people? Yes, too."

People affected by oil palm waste: 'total dead farmers' crops

One case of the bad impact of the disposal of SBE waste occurred in Sendang
Mulyo Village, Sluke District, Rembang, Central Java.
Representative of the Rembang Community Care for the Environment Forum, Boma
Subkhan, said that the distance between the waste disposal location and residential
areas is about three kilometers.
The impact felt by the residents, the smell was strong.
"The smell of oil is strong. If you come to that location, you will feel dizzy for two
days," Boma told BBC News Indonesia.
Not only that, tens of hectares of residents' crops died. Boma's count, one farmer
suffered a loss of between Rp. 15 million and Rp. 40 million.

FP
Caption,
Deforestation in Papua, according to Forest Watch Indonesia's records, is higher
than in other regions.
"Red onion, chili peppers, have died. Then the significant thing is that clove trees
that are over 10 years old are totally dead,"
The waste, he continued, was disposed of by a barge in February 2020 and then
placed in a former mining excavation site in four different places in Rembang
Regency.
At that time, according to Boma, the party who threw away admitted that the waste
was not dangerous.
He said, if totaled, the waste ranges from 30 thousand tons with a height of 2-3
meters.
Now residents, said Boma, want the waste to be removed immediately.

https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-56393482