Tens of Factories in Cilegon Produce Hazardous Waste
May 12, 2015
Banten provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPDB) lists 78 factories allegedly generating toxic substances and hazardous waste (B3). These are petrochemical factories that produce produce plastics and carbons.
“B3 wastes can cause respiratory disease, skin to brain cancer. It can even cause ddeath,” said banten BPDB Head of Prevention Section, Uus Koeswaya in Cilegon, on Thursday, May 8.
According to Uus, the factories are located in four zones. First zone covers area from Anyer to Ciwandan border. Second zone from Ciwandan up to Cilegon, third zone in Gerem up to Cilegon, and fourth zone in Merak industrial area.
“All of the industries generates chemicals with high air pollution rate,” Uus added.
The pollution threat, Uus said, will become higher when there is leak in industrial steam discharge and material processing reactors. Unfortunately, Banten BPDB has yet to have accurate data about the type of waste generated by each industry.
Uus urges all industry in Cilegon to open up and report type of waste they produced as part of preventive actions against pollution by chemical wastes.
Previously, hundreds of residents of Gunung Sugih Administrative village, Ciwandan Subdistrict, Cilegon, were forced to leave their homeland because of unhealthy environment caused by pollution. Many of the residents had moved to Anyar Subdistrict, Serang Regency.
“We have stayed there for tens of years. But now it’s no longer healthy place because of pollution and noise from industry since our village is so close with the factories,” said Ajiz, one of the residents of Ciwandan, Cilegon.
