We found one carrion yesterday, and three more today within 100 meters of a waste drainage spot of the coal-based thermal power plant, PLTU Teluk SepangBengkulu (ANTARA) - Several residents of Teluk Sepang, Bengkulu, Friday came to the governor’s office to hand over four turtle carrions found at Teluk Sepang Beach. “We found one carrion yesterday, and three more today within 100 meters of a waste drainage spot of the coal-based thermal power plant, PLTU Teluk Sepang,” Rustam, a resident, said.
The finding increased the number of turtles found dead in the Teluk Sepang area to 19, which have occurred in a series since November 10, 2019 and had never happened before, he added.
“We have been counting the dead carcasses of turtles here since the trial of PLTU Teluk Sepang began. The drainage water is foamy, sometimes colored white or brown, and stinks,” Rustam explained.
Several times before, residents had been sent some turtle carrions to the Natural Resources Conservation Research Center of Bengkulu to be observed yet the reason remains unknown.
“We are tired of sending the turtles to the conservation center because we did not have any answers for the cause of death,” Eko, another resident, said.
Earlier, governor of Bengkulu, Rohidin Mersyah stated that he had already issued a warning letter to the PLTU’s management regarding the suspected harmful waste.
“I had warned the TLB Company, and they must undertake direct checks,” Mersyah noted as he emphasized that the suspected environmental issue is a serious problem.
The temperature of the power plant’s waste was 35 degrees Celsius under its limit of 40 degree Celsius, and its pH measurement was 8.31, a spokesperson for the TLB Company that runs PLTU Teluk Sepang, Erasputranto, said.
The white foam over the drainage was caused by seawater which contains disinfectant substances such as chlorine, microorganism and salt, he claimed.
“Our waste management is referred to in our regulations,” Mersyah said.
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Translator: Helti Marini, Suwanti
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
