Coal Spilled: Barge Loaded with 7,500 Tons of Cargo Having Hull Leak in Pangpang Bay Banyuwangi, Indonesia

A barge under the name of Gold Trans 308 sailing from Banjarmasin to Cilacap has a damaged hull in the waters of Pangpang Bay, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java. As a result, the barge which carries 7,500 metric tons of coal is tilting and could not continue its journey (7/11/2021).

The barge has been in the waters since last week on Teusday (2/11/2021). However, its whereabouts were only discovered by the Polairud Muncar Post, Wednesday (3/11/2021) night.

The photos of the tilting ship can be seen at Tempo.

(Photo: Nusadaily)

The head of the Banyuwangi Regional Police, Kompol Jeni Al Jauza, said the barge was suspected of having a hull leak. The barge position is then tilted to 30 degrees. As a result, some of the cargo fell in these waters.

"Until now the ship is still in the same position. Luckily there were no casualties in this incident. As many as 10 crew members managed to survive and stay on board. However, some of the coal cargo fell into the sea," said Commissioner Jeni Al Jauza, Sunday (7 /11/2021), as quoted from Detik.

Jeni added that the leak of the ship's hull had actually been known since the ship was in the Sepudi Islands, Sumenep Regency. However, the captain of the ship continued his journey and chose to run the ship aground in the waters of Pangpang Bay.

The captain reasoned that the repair process would be easier to reach. Until now, Jeni added, the ship company is still making repairs.

 Coal Spills into Essential Economic Area

The Head of Catches Fisheries at the Banyuwangi Fisheries Service, Suryono Bintang Samudera, said that coal falling into the waters of Pangpang Bay would damage the environment.

"The problem is that coal cannot be decomposed. If it enters the sea, it will clearly pollute the ecosystem there," he said as quoted from Detik, Sunday (7/11//2021).

When the sea is polluted, said Suryono, marine life will automatically stay away from the area because it is no longer suitable for their habitat. This condition of course also has an impact on the economy of fishermen in the nearby area. Fish catches will be drastically reduced because the biota that normally live there will move.

"The barge company must be responsible for the spilled coal material into the waters of the Pangpang Bay area. Otherwise, it can be prosecuted legally," he said.

"The regulation is clear in Law No. 32 of 2009, whether it's intentional or not, companies must be responsible for environmental pollution that comes from their activities," added Suryono.

Moreover, the coal material fell into the Pangpang Bay area which is currently designated as an essential economic area (KEE). "When it becomes KEE, it means that there is also an ecosystem conservation function there," he added.

Currently, Suryono continued, his party is still coordinating with the Environmental Service and the Banyuwangi Police Satpolairud regarding the company's responsibility for the potential damage to the ecosystem.

"We are still coordinating. Whether this (company obligation) has been followed up or not," he added.

Confirmed separately, the Head of the Banyuwangi Environment Agency, Chusnul Khotimah, admitted that she would still coordinate the matter with the DLH of East Java Province.