Lapindo News Item Text

Lapindo Brantas Inc. is dumping contaminated water from the Sidoarjo mudflow disaster directly into the Porong River without treating it first as promised, witnesses claim. The company has denied it has dumped untreated water into the river. Witnesses claimed they had seen water from retaining ponds being channeled directly into the river. The two pipes were connected to the river from one of the ponds near Pejarakan Jabon village. Three pumps have also been installed to distribute water from the pond to the river.

A TV journalist, Medi, said the pipes were set up in Thursday by soldiers from the Kepanjen battalion in Malang. Of the two pipes, only one was operating Friday, he said. State Minister of Environment Rachmat Witoelar earlier said the water must not be dumped into seas or rivers without being treated.

The ministry earlier said the mud was non-toxic and safe, despite a study published in a government magazine that said the mud contained a number of dangerous chemicals.