Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Garut, West Java

Toxic waste pollution in Garut, West Java, has reached alarming proportions but the local administration is powerless to take tough legal action against the perpetrators.

The water in the Ciwalen and Cigulampeng rivers, and even the Cimanuk river, has turned black, with a putrid odor.

Chromium toxic waste produced by local export-oriented leather tanneries has already contaminated soil and vegetables grown alongside the Ciwalen river, with pollution exceeding the maximum levels set by the State Ministry for the Environment.

A test carried out in July showed that chromium (III) in the soil had already reached 0.11145 milligram per kilogram, while chromium in cabbage was 1.00009 mg per kg, both above the maximum level of 0.000035 mg per kg.

Chromium, used to boost leather tanning productivity, can induce skin rashes and damage the reproductive system.

Head of Garut Environmental Management Agency (BPLH) Sukriya admitted last week that toxic waste from leather tanneries in Sukaregang was a major problem in the area but the local administration had yet to find a way to resolve it.

"Despite the toxic waste it produces, the industry absorbs thousands of workers. If we took tough action against those companies, like taking them to court or closing them down, we are afraid unemployment would rise," Sukriya told journalists last week.

According to Sukriya, there were currently over 330 small- and medium-sized leather tanning firms operating in Garut, producing a total of up to 40 tons of toxic waste every month.

On average, the companies produce 900 tons of tanned leather every month, the bulk of which is exported to Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, apart from meeting demand from Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali and several provinces in Sumatra.

"Only a few plants have a toxic waste control installation (IPAL), while some have waste installations but do not operate them," he said.

Sukriya said the local administration had set up two IPALs to help reduce widespread toxic waste pollution, but many companies didn't want to use them.

"Now we can only pray that their moral responsibility will improve and they will give more consideration to environmental damage in their management," he said.

Local resident Suwarna, 36, said strong odors from the Ciwalen river had been a nuisance to people living nearby and the water couldn't be used anymore.

"We protested to the industry two years ago to manage their waste properly, but they gave us only empty promises. It seems as though the local government did nothing about it," he said.

Farmers, whose land surrounds the Ciwalen and Cigulampeng rivers, have reportedly suffered from a decline in the rice harvest, while others have complained about skin irritations.

Gunawan, 38, a local leather tanning firm senior official, said his firm must have controlled the waste properly, otherwise the government would have imposed a fine on his company.