[Kabar-indonesia] 1: Tempo Cover Story: The Sidoarjo Crisis [+Swamped by the Slime]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

4 Tempo Magazine Cover Story Reports (1 of 2): 

- Time Bomb in Sidoarjo 

- Swamped by the Lapindo Slime 

- Alarm Bells 

- 'Shrimp City' 

Tempo Magazine
No. 51/VI
August 22-28, 2006 

Cover Story 

Time Bomb in Sidoarjo 

The mudflow catastrophe has changed the surface of Sidoarjo regency. 
An even bigger disaster awaits if the mud doesn't stop flowing. 

War! 

AT asar (the third Muslim prayer of the day), the call to arms was heard from 
the Nurul Huda mosque. The villagers at East Renokenongo were asked to gather 
at the Surabaya-Gempol toll road, last Wednesday afternoon. Around 100 ran 
out of their houses, carrying weapons-crowbars, iron rods, wooden bats. War was 
declared as celebration of the nation's independence drew near. 

About 100 people rushed to the toll road. There, more then 50 people from the 
neighboring villages of Besuki and Jatirejo, were breaking rocks using plows. 
The Renokenongo villagers raised their weapons to prevent the forced break. 
After all, they depended on the embankments, made of sand and rock, for their 
future existence. 

A quarter of a million cubic meters of mud, the height of a roof, was gaining 
in volume and it was just a matter of time before it would overflow. One of 
the four hamlets, Balongkenongo, has been flooded -- 428 houses in all. The 
danger pushed them to wage war on the eve of August 17, Independence Day. 

                                                      * * *
The above war between two villages is a small example of a series of problems 
that came with the burning mud at PT Lapindo Brantas' gas exploration 
location in Porong subdistrict, Sidoarjo regency, East Java. The mud started to flow 
on May 29, and so far the mud has inundated parts of the Porong area. At any 
moment, five villages could be uprooted. Around 8,134 villagers have fled to 
seek shelter. 

Economic, environmental, and social losses can be calculated in no time. 
Lapindo claimed that it had allocated US$70 million (around Rp665 billion) in 
emergency funds to handle the toxic sludge. "Until now US$31 million has been used 
up," said Imam P. Agustino, General Manager of Lapindo Brantas, to Tempo. 

When the mud started gushing out, the volume was estimated at around 5,000 
cubic meters. Today, it has reached 50,000 cubic meters a day. This is roughly 
the equivalent of 690 large container trucks. 

If Banjar Panji-1 continues to discharge at 50,000 cubic meters daily, by 
October 31 the volume could reach 7.1 million cubic meters. At the end of the 
year, it will break through the 10-million-cubic-meter mark. This is twice the 
volume of the lava crater atop Mount Merapi when it erupts. 

The danger becomes more imminent when the rainy season arrives at the 
beginning of November. Surabaya's November 10 Institute of Technology (ITS) estimates 
that the rainy season will break the levees, causing the contained mud to 
overflow, the toll road to submerge, and the railroad to be engulfed with mud. 
That's what lies ahead in the short term. 

So far, three teams of experts have been formed to find a solution to the 
mudflow and manage the impacts. They work in parallel. Each team consists of 
representatives from Lapindo, the government, and several experts from leading 
universities. 

Among them are experts from ITS, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), 
and Gadjah Mada University. Team One, which takes care of the mud, is now 
struggling with the third scenario, whose short-term target (see Alarm Bells) is to 
stop the flow and find a rapid solution for the millions of cubic meters of 
mud on the ground. 

The first scenario was drilling the old well-Banjar Panji-1-to determine the 
source of the discharge and plug it up. The result: total failure. 

The team of experts then implemented the second and third scenarios, which 
essentially are to avoid the obstruction in the old well which failed in the 
first scenario. The second scenario was to drill from the mouth of the Banjar 
Panji-1 well. At a depth of 500 meters, the wall narrowed and could not be 
pierced. The equipment even had to be left behind at a depth of 300 meters. This 
scenario, too, was a total failure. 

Only the third scenario is left. At this stage, a relief well was dug first. 
Once again, it had to be stopped-at least for the time being. To quote the 
General Manager of Lapindo, Imam P. Agustino, "The platform was flooded, so the 
third scenario must be postponed." The intention is to wait until the location 
is safe from the stagnating water. 

The schedule has been delayed by a month to the end of November or the middle 
of December. Learning from the experience, Lapindo decided to drill in three 
points simultaneously last Friday. However, there's still a possibility of 
failure. Here are the calculations. 

The three scenarios are based on the hypothesis that the mud came from a 
crack in the well of the Banjar Panji-1 wall. But, there is another hypothesis: 
what happened was a volcanic phenomenon, like in Bledug Kuwu in Purwodadi, 
Central Java. Until today, it's still discharging sludge, forming a swamp. 

So, a fourth scenario must be prepared. Rudi Rubiandini, member of Team One, 
explained to Tempo that volcanic mud could only be overcome by operating three 
or five relief wells simultaneously. All wells are used to surround the 
cracks where the mud surfaces. The problem is, "It's expensive and time-consuming." 

For example, a rig and its operational costs require Rp95 billion. The costs 
can escalate because contractors and the rental charge of drilling equipment 
will be higher in danger zones. Assuming normal costs, the five wells will 
require Rp475 billion. 

Even if the funds are available, however, "today it's hard to obtain an 
available rig amid the soaring oil prices," said Rubi. 

It's no wonder that some experts are losing hope. "I doubt that the mudflow 
can be stopped in a matter of months," said Amin Widodo, geologist and head of 
Disaster Studies at ITS. Other experts are even considering the possible end 
of Porong. 

Rovicky Dwi Putrohari, an independent geologist, wrote that in Porong-1 well 
location, 7 kilometers to the east of Banjar Panji-1, were geological 
indications which "showed mudflows happening in prehistoric eras." That was his 
analysis. Rovicky noted something worrying: the mudflow in Porong-1 would not stop 
for decades or even hundreds of years. 

                                                    * * *
Banjar Panji-1 poses a question. What will happen if there's no way to stem 
the flow of mud? Without expanding the dykes or embankments, the mud is certain 
to flow in all directions. Until two weeks ago, the capacity of the levees 
was only 767,000 cubic meters. 

The Environment Department said that to contain the mudflow for the next 
three months, they were preparing 150 hectares of new dykes. As an anticipatory 
measure, there are 342 additional hectares that could meet the need for the next 
nine months. 

The problem is, the Meteorology & Geophysics Agency predicts that the rainy 
season is coming in about 30 days. If that's correct, then the dams will not be 
able to contain the mud. Mud will flow in all directions, dirtying the 
surrounding areas. "It's like waiting for a time bomb that will explode at any 
moment," said an official at Sidoarjo. 

Whether it explodes or not, the surface of Sidoarjo has changed. The area in 
which 19 Lapindo gas wells are located is Surabaya's satellite town. Some of 
the people commute from Sidoarjo to Surabaya. They live in houses on both sides 
of the toll road, including around the center of the mud discharge. 

In the emergency roster, there is the Tanggulangin Anggun Sejahtera Housing 
Complex, standing by in case the mud demolishes the 6,000 houses along the 
sides of the dam. 

The regional space plan for Porong is certain to be adjusted. If the worst 
prediction comes true and the majority of Porong is inundated, "the region will 
be converted into an industrial zone," said Regent of Sidoarjo, Win Hendrarso. 
Previously, Porong was planned as a residential area. 

Dozens of factories are already submerged. What remains of PT Catur Putra 
Surya, where labor activist Marsinah used to work, are only its roofs. 

What worries Win is December, the month with the highest rainfall. If the dam 
is seen to be inadequate, "We have no choice but to divert the mud directly 
to the sea, through the Porong River," said Win. 

Lapindo recommends the same solution. They reason that, rather than wait for 
discharge pipes to be completed, it's better to temporarily use the river to 
let the mud discharge, for example, for three months. "This is not the best 
choice. But at least, this is the best of all options," said Bambang P. Istadi, 
Explorations Manager of Lapindo. 

This recommendation has been approved-with conditions-by the Sidoarjo Regent. 
Moreover, Vice President Jusuf Kalla has given the green light for the last 
scenario to be the option, namely to prioritize saving people, the toll road, 
the railroad and the environment. 

Unfortunately, the mud will exacerbate the damage to the Porong River 
ecosystem. And, when it enters the sea, the mud will automatically pollute the Madura 
Strait and the surrounding seas. The 1,600-hectare fishponds on the shores of 
Sidoarjo will also be impacted. What if that happens? 

"Let nature do its work," said Amin Widodo in response to Tempo's question. 
This is an ancient formula, relying on nature's mechanism to restore life. In 
the meantime, the people must still use "weapons" to fight the attack of the 
mud. 

-- Untung Widyanto, Sunudyantoro, Rohman Taufiq, Zed Abidien, Yosep Suprayogi 
 
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Tempo Magazine
No. 51/VI
August 22-28, 2006 
  
Cover Story 

Swamped by the Lapindo Slime 

Industries in East Java are hurting because of the Sidoarjo mudflow. 
They are dependent on the threatened Gempol-Surabaya toll road. 

THE prosperous era that Andi Rohmat experienced vanished in an instant. For 
the past two and a half months Andi's business at Tanggulangin district in 
Sidoarjo, East Java, was devoid of buyers. The producer of leather bags, 
suitcases, shoes, belts, and wallets could only stare blankly at his pile of unsold 
goods. 

As recently as the end of last May, Andi's cup was still overflowing. From a 
business started by his father in the 1970s, Andi was able to earn Rp2-3 
million a day. That was on a weekday. On weekends, his good luck could bring him an 
income as high as Rp5 million. 

All that changed after a rice paddy in Renokenongo village spewed out hot mud 
on May 29. The black liquid discharge is now dispersing to three areas: 
Porong, Jabon, and Tanggulangin. 

The mud often floods the Gempol-Surabaya toll road as well, forcing its 
frequent closure. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles that usually use the road have 
to be diverted to the Porong-Surabaya road, causing immense traffic jams. 

The series of events has caused the bag industry center in Kedensari village, 
located along the Porong-Surabaya route, to suffer, although the area is not 
covered by mud. "Because of the traffic congestion, customers don't bother to 
come here," said Andi, whose customers come all the way from Pasuruan, Malang 
and Banyuwangi. The row of shops stretching 1.5 kilometers is no longer 
crowded with visitors. The sellers stand in front of their shops, staring at nothing 
in particular. 

In the past, Andi would have a turnover of Rp100 million a month. After the 
mudflow, "We're thankful to get Rp1 million a day," he said. And there are 
hundreds of craftsmen who are suffering the same fate. The bleak picture is 
reflected in the sales of the Intako (Bag and Suitcase Industry) Cooperative Unit. 
It is through this Unit that 400 bag craftsmen conduct their business, although 
they already have their own shops and sell their products. 

Before the mudflow, the Cooperative Unit, established in 1976, could amass 
Rp10-15 million a day. On Sundays, the figure would jump to Rp50 million. During 
school holidays, it could even break the Rp70 million figure. 

But that is in the past. Since the mudflow, it has been very hard for the 
Unit to even get Rp5 million a day-which is what happened in the last school 
holidays of June-July. Selling to other regions is worse. "There haven't been any 
orders," said Ida Nurhayati from Intako marketing. 

Before the mud disaster, Intako received four to five orders a month. Each 
was worth Rp50 million. Not surprisingly, the bag artisans in Tanggulangin are 
anxious. "If this continues, we're going to go bankrupt," said Andi. 

Their anxiety is well-founded. The mud has ruined 19 factories in Porong 
subdistrict. It happened one week after the discharge. Consequently, 1,873 
employees were told not to come to work. Agus Haryadi, deputy head of the East Java 
Office of Industry & Trade, estimates that the losses suffered due to the 
flooded factories reached Rp162.72 billion. 

Of that number, said Agus, PT Catur Putra Surya (CPS) is suffering the most. 
The factory that produced watches lost Rp48.1 billion. The figure includes 
demolished buildings, raw materials, and factory equipment. The factory, which 
became infamous for its employee, Marsinah-a labor activist who was killed in 
1993-had a production value of Rp628 million per month. 

So far, based on an agreement with Lapindo Brantas Inc., on Wednesday last 
week, 11 factories will be relocated. Lapindo will spend Rp6.8 billion on the 
relocation. Compensation to all employees for staying at home is Rp700,000 per 
employee per month. 

The problem is the mud is also knocking down 104 units of small- and 
medium-sized businesses in Tanggulangin and Porong subdistricts. These include food 
stalls, tire repair shops, flower sellers, fruit sellers, whose incomes range 
from Rp30,000-Rp45,000 a day. The situation is worsening because there are no 
signs of the mud discharge slowing down, let alone stopping. Businesses depend 
on the Gempol-Surabaya toll road, which is increasingly threatened. They are 
apprehensive that the dams on the side of the toll road will be breached at any 
time, as happened last Wednesday. 

If that happens, massive traffic jams will be inevitable. "Supplies of raw 
materials and product distribution will be disrupted," said Thomas Darmawan, 
Chairman of the Joint Association of Food & Beverage Businesses (GAPMI). The 
problem is, said Thomas, goods delivery will subsequently be reduced from two 
trips to one. Also, there will be increased transportation costs of raw materials, 
ranging from Rp200,000-Rp 300,000 per truck per trip. 

The problem is, 34 percent of the total food and beverage industry in 
Indonesia is concentrated in East Java. The factories are scattered in the coastal 
region. In Pandaan, Pasuruan, for example, are the Indomilk plant, a tuna fish 
cannery, coffee and mineral water plants. In Kejayan, Pasuruan, is the Nestle 
milk processing factory that takes in 425-500 tons of fresh milk daily to be 
processed into powder and condensed milk. 

The various products, both for export and domestic markets, are transported 
to Tanjung Perak Harbor using the Gempol-Surabaya toll road. Disruptions to the 
road, said Brata T. Hardjosubroto, Public Relations Manager of PT Nestle 
Indonesia, will prolong the journey. "The uncertainty will make it difficult for 
shipping accuracy," he said. 

The uncertainty of the toll road condition is also killing shrimp and fish 
businesses as well, especially with the rainy season around the corner. "This 
can be a time bomb," said Johan Suryadarma, Chairman of the Indonesian 
Association of Cold Storage Businesses (APCI), East Java chapter. The mud is 
threatening the shrimp ponds in Tanggulangin, Porong, and Jabon, covering around 2,189 
hectares. 

Thirty-three percent of national shrimp exports come from East Java. Half of 
that comes from around 30 shrimp processing factories located in the southern 
part of East Java, such as Pandaan, Bangil, Situbondo, and Banyuwangi. 
Processed products are exported to Japan, the European Union and the United States. 

According to 2005 export data, the region contributes an average of 2,000 
tons of tiger prawns per month. At US$8 per kilo, the losses, if supplies are 
contaminated by the mud, will be around US$16 million (Rp144 billion) per month. 

Heavy traffic alone can cause businesses to suffer losses of US$100-150,000 
(for shrimps) and US$50,000 (for tuna) per container. "Serious traffic can 
cause the freezer to malfunction because the generator set capability is limited," 
said Johan. As a result, products that have been frozen will melt and rot on 
the way. 

The shrimp businesses are even more worried if the mud is diverted to the 
Madura Strait via Kali Porong. "If they choose to do that, that will be the end 
of our business," said Susilo Subarjo. He is worried that the mudflow will 
pollute the shrimp and fish ponds. This is particularly the case since last 
Monday, when Japan and the European Union asked about the condition of shrimp on the 
coast of East Java. 

If the fish or tuna products from East Java are contaminated, they will 
certainly be rejected by the European Union or Japan. "It will be difficult for us 
to return a product whose image has been tainted," said Susilo, who usually 
ships 20-25 containers of shrimp per month. 

According to Imam P. Agustino, General Manager of Lapindo Brantas, Inc, the 
decision was that the mud should be discarded, and only the water would flow to 
Porong. "And the water would have been processed first," he said. The problem 
is, it's not easy to separate water from mud. The mud sedimentation process 
alone can take one month. If that happens, the waves of anxiety that have beset 
business players in East Java will continue. That's why, "We're asking for an 
official explanation as to when this disaster will end," said Thomas. 

-- Yandhrie Arvian, Rohman Taufik (Tanggulangin), Sunudyantoro (Surabaya) 
 
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Tempo Magazine
No. 51/VI
August 22-28, 2006 

Cover Story 

Alarm Bells 

THE rainy season is but two months away, one month earlier than the schedule 
according to Scenario 3. If the schedule is delayed by a mere half a month, 
Sidoarjo will be experiencing its heaviest downpour. The worst scenario must be 
anticipated and planned, "and disseminated to the people," said Amin Widodo, 
geologist and head of Disaster Studies, November 10 Institute of Technology, in 
Surabaya. 

Untung Widyanto, Sunudyantoro, Rohman Taifiq, Zed Abidien, Yosep Suprayogi 

NEGLIGENCE IN PORONG 

Amin Widodo of ITS notes negligence by Lapindo. 

1. NO CASING 

AMIN: Drilling without casing, despite high risk of blowout. 
LAPINDO: In drilling, there's no requirement for casing at a certain depth 
(Drilling Manager, Faiz Shahab). 

2. RIG MOVED 

AMIN: Lapindo pulled a rig,. This delayed the process for plugging and 
seeking the well's plug. 
LAPINDO: There was a crack in the land that might cause the rig to collapse, 
threatening 15 workers. So, the rig was removed. The rig was also saved, and 
could be used again (General Manager Imam Agustino). 

3. SLOW 

AMIN: No quick repair measures. If it had been rapidly managed, the volume of 
mud could have been reduced. 
LAPINDO: This type of mud is difficult to handle; authorization from the 
government to tail using piping method and water treatment was not issued until 
August 10 (Imam Agustino). 

4. NOT TRANSPARENT 

AMIN: A week after the blowout, there was no statement from Lapindo. Later, 
Lapindo said the blowout was within safe limits, would not cause losses to 
third parties, there was no toxic gas from the well. Studies reveal there were 
dangerous chemicals from the blowout. 
LAPINDO: There was no intention to cover up the problem or shirk from 
responsibilities. We did not make a statement immediately because we were occupied 
with managing the mudflow (Imam Agustino). 

5. DRILLING LOCATION 

AMIN: Lapindo drilled in a location close to heavily populated areas. 
LAPINDO: Drilling was with BP Migas' permission (Imam Agustino). 
 
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Tempo Magazine
No. 51/VI
August 22-28, 2006 

Cover Story 

'Shrimp City' 

As a gateway to Surabaya, Sidoarjo's image is beginning to be muddied. 

SIDOARJO is a city to make the mouth water. Delicious prawn crackers, tasty 
smoked milkfish, sweet sticky jellies or crispy shellfish steamed in banana 
leaves-a type of mini-shellfish-that beckon enticingly from the windows of snack 
shops, along the length of the city center's thoroughfares. 

It is these foods that draw and captivate vacationers, enhancing the fame of 
the city. This happened even after a part of Sidoarjo regency was flooded with 
mud form the PT Lapindo Brantas drilling site. 

The face of Sidoarjo had actually been changing for some time-long before the 
"mud case." The industrial zones swept away the fishponds and agricultural 
areas that extended to the southern side of Surabaya, the provincial capital of 
East Java. And Sidoarjo's development cannot be separated from Surabaya's, one 
of the busiest port cities in Indonesia. 

Around 20 years ago, Surabaya changed its orientation from that of an 
industrial city to a service and trade center. Population numbers swelled quickly to 
more than 3 million people as development spread southward. 

As a result, the Rungkut Industrial Estate area was surrounded by dense 
housing within a short time. Land prices soared and traffic jams became a regular 
problem. The overflow of development in a southerly direction increasingly 
obscured the boundary between Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Mojokerto. The northern 
section of Sidoarjo regency developed faster than Sidoarjo-the capital of the 
regency. Hundreds of factories in Surabaya were moved there, taking over land in 
the subdistricts of Gedangan, Waru and Sedati. 

Fifteen years ago, the housing and population density in Surabaya caused the 
municipal government to move the bus terminal to Bungurasih, Sidoarjo. Serving 
120,000 passengers a day, this is the busiest terminal in Indonesia and the 
largest in Southeast Asia. Juanda Airport is being relocated in the Waru 
subdistrict and will become the most modern airport in Indonesia with 11 terminals. 
It is expected to be ready to begin operations next month. 

Sidoarjo acts as a first defense for Surabaya and at the same time a filter 
for the flow of outsiders into the city. Processing industries began to replace 
the agricultural sector that originally had the largest shrimp factories in 
the region. In 2002 for example, half of Sidoarjo regency's total revenue-as 
much as Rp14.2 trillion-flowed from the processing industries. 

Population growth in the regency has been recorded as the highest in East 
Java. The Surabaya-Gempol-Pasuruan toll road spurred development into the 
southern areas. The Candi subdistrict, Tanggulangin, through to Porong, which is 
located some 30 kilometers from Surabaya's boundary, began to be packed with 
factories and housing. 

On Sidoarjo's land area, which extends over 63,000 hectares, stand some 500 
housing areas packed with 1.5 million people. "Before, the children could still 
play with kites. In the last 10 years it has been covered over with housing 
and factories," said Abdul Chosirin, a secretary at the Gedangan subdistrict 
offices. 

In the end, Surabaya and Sidoarjo came to depend upon each other. Kresnayana 
Yahya, a statistical expert from Surabaya's November 10 Institute of 
Technology, estimates that around 700,000 Sidoarjo residents work in Surabaya. Every 
morning, the Bundaran Waru area that has becomes the main entry point into 
Surabaya is overwhelmed trying to take in the flow of traffic. 

Sidoarjo's role as Surabaya's gateway became increasingly apparent after the 
hot mud overflowed from the Lapindo Brantas drilling site. Five villages in 
three subdistricts were submerged in mud. In fact the area inundated by mud is 
only 0.2 percent of the total land area of Sidoarjo. However like an infection, 
it blocked the most important routes connecting Surabaya, with other cities 
in the eastern region. The toll road was almost cut, halting the transit of 
export goods from Jember, Banyuwangi, Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Malang and Batu. 
Sidoarjo also, with its shrimp factories, has been noted as one of the country's 
key export industries. 

Shrimp city. Such has been its nickname for many years now. The city's fame 
is not lost yet, although perhaps it has begun to be clouded by the splatter of 
mud. 

-- Agung Rulianto (Jakarta), Rohman Taufiq (Porong, East Java) 
 
-End 1 of 2-

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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