Indonesia’s marine ecosystem is under threat from dozens of coal-fired power plants (PLTU) that dump hazardous wastewater into the ocean, a study has revealed.
The Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) said the government had for years upheld a regulation that allowed wastewater from the PLTU, including those located in coastal areas, to be dumped at high temperatures, which has been found to be destructive for the marine ecosystem.
Based on ICEL data, at least 15 out of 29 PLTUs in the country are located in coastal areas and all of them dump waste into the sea. The government is planning to develop 95 more PLTUs over the next 10 years, 71 of which will be situated by the sea.
ICEL researcher Angela Vania Rustandi said the government upheld Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 8/2009 on wastewater quality standards, which stipulates that the maximum temperature of wastewater is 40 degrees Celsius.