Sumatra, June 10, 2025 || One month after being reported, 16 reports of alleged environmental crimes committed by 9 owners of coal-fired power plants (PLTU) on Sumatra Island to the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment (KLH) of the Republic of Indonesia on May 5, 2025, have not yet been verified by LHK RI officers.

The alleged environmental crime violations were conveyed by civil society groups that joined the Bright Sumatra for Clean Energy (STuEB) coalition, a group of 15 civil society organizations on Sumatra Island that have been monitoring environmental management at 9 coal-fired power plants on Andalas Island for the past few years.

There are at least 16 indications of environmental crimes in the form of dumping of bottom ash and top ash waste or better known as fly ash bottom ash (FABA) which have been carried out by PT PLN Nusantara Power and PT Meulaboh Power Generation in Nagan Raya Aceh, PT PLN Nusantara Power Ombilin Branch, West Sumatra, PT Pembangkitan Jawa Bali (PJB) UB JOM PLTU Tenayan Raya in Pekan Baru, PT PLN Indonesia Power in Pangkalan Susu, North Sumatra, PT Permata Prima Elektrindo in Jambi, PT Tenaga Listrik Bengkulu in Bengkulu, PT Priyamanaya in Lahat Regency, PT PLN (Persero) in Lampung.

Other forms of crime include the alleged use of sawdust from Limited Production Forests (HPT) as a mixture of coal combustion materials by PT PLN Nusantara Power and PT Meulaboh Power Generation in Nagan Raya Aceh, the closing of the Niru River in the Sumsel 1 PLTU construction project in Muara Enim, South Sumatra and the management of coal stockpiles that do not meet standards by PT PLN Indonesia Power in Pangkalan Susu, North Sumatra, as well as the inability of the lightning protection system of the High Voltage Air Duct (SUTT) of PT Tenaga Listrik Bengkulu which caused losses for residents of Padang Kuas Village, Bengkulu.

STuEB Consolidator, Ali Akbar stated that this finding shows that 9 companies intentionally and openly violated regulations on FABA waste management, regulations on the Implementation of Environmental Protection and Management, illegal logging or encroachment of forest areas. This fact also shows that these companies do not care about environmental safety which has the potential to increase people's suffering both in the health sector and the economic sector in the form of declining ecosystem services.

Likewise, in Bengkulu, West Sumatra, Riau, coal-fired power plants have caused FABA to fly around settlements. In North Sumatra, Aceh and Lampung, piles of ash are around the sea, while in Jambi and Lahat, ash flows into the Tembesi River and Pule River, where companies intentionally dump FABA into the environment and cause soil and water pollution.

Sahwan, Chairman of the Anak Padi Foundation in Lahat, South Sumatra, said that the complaints made through the Ministry of Environment's application should have made it easier for the public to access and for the government to be more efficient in receiving reports of environmental crimes, but his party's reports were ignored or ignored.

"Every day, the people of Muara Maung Village and Merapi Barat District inhale dust from coal mining and ash from the burning of the Keban Agung PLTU. The impact has been thousands of people suffering from ISPA, not to mention the decline in secondary crop yields due to contaminated soil," said Sahwan.

Boni Bangun from South Sumatra Clean South Sumatra said that the Sumsel 1 PLTU in Muara Enim which is not yet in production has also caused negative impacts on environmental damage, starting from the destruction of Bukit Kancil which is a forest or water catchment area and the relocation of the Niru River tributary in the establishment of the PLTU. This has resulted in the potential for natural disasters increasing and the community's management area becoming narrower.

"The government should be more sensitive to the threats that will impact the community in ring 1 of the PLTU. We urge the central and regional governments to immediately evaluate the existence of the Sumsel 1 PLTU," said Boni. Alfi Syukri from LBH Padang assessed that this shows that there has been a legal vacuum in implementing the constitution to protect the environment and the people. In fact, according to Government Regulation number 22 of 2021 and Permen LH 9 of 2010, it is emphasized that the state is obliged to follow up on every complaint of environmental violations no later than 10 working days.

"The Sijantang Koto Sawah Lunto community has been inhaling toxic ash for decades, FABA is piled up on the banks of the Batang Ombilin River causing the river to become polluted. This is not just administration, but toleration of the plundering of natural resources. What is sacrificed is not only today, but the future of our generation," he said.

The Director of Apel Green Aceh, Syukur, also assessed that the government's working method was not at all on the side of the people who were victims of environmental damage, but instead sided with dirty energy investments.

"While fishermen are now no longer just pulling fish, but coal that spills into the sea, farmers who used to harvest up to 4 tons per hectare now only get 30 kilograms of rice, a tragic setback that is simply left alone. Meanwhile, around the PLTU, hundreds of residents suffer from ISPA and skin diseases, but the state seems to turn a blind eye," he said.

He also questioned the implementation of Article 33 Paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution which promises prosperity for the people. He asserted that if the Ministry of Environment does not act immediately, then it is clear that the state cares more about coal than the lives of its citizens.

This statement of gratitude was reinforced by Aldi Ferdian from the Aceh Environmental Defenders Association (P2LH), who stated that the coal spill that occurred on the coast of West Aceh proved the oppression of the people by coal corporations. If there is no firm and real action from the government, then he considered the state to be perpetuating the actions of corporations that oppress the people.

Meanwhile, Pekanbaru LBH Director Andri Alatas assessed that the current situation in the country is like being hit by an all-time night, the ideal of early retirement of the PLTU is just idle talk. Complaints from monitoring results carried out in various regions throughout Sumatra show the urgency to carry out supervision and impose strict sanctions on PLTU activities that damage and pollute the environment. This is in line with the supervisory function in accordance with Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Management which was revised in Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation.

"The issue of coal FABA accumulation in Tenayan Raya is urgent to be followed up, because the area is prone to flooding and landslides, even according to the community there has been no guarantee of recovery and firm action to date to the Tenayan Raya PLTU and we also urge for the restoration of the Siak River which has not been carried out, even though it has been polluted for years which ultimately all fishermen who use the Siak River live in prolonged suffering," said Andri.


Deri Sopian, dari Lembaga Tiga Beradik (LTB) Jambi, menjelaskan laporan dugaan pelanggaran yang dilakukan PT. Permata Prima Elektrindo Semaran, Pauh, Sarolangun Jambi melalui situs lapor.go.id diharapkan segera mendapat respon dari Kementerian LH.

"Because from the field monitoring conducted, the location of the FABA PLTU waste storage is in an open location without safety barriers and is in a flood-prone location. We suspect that this will cause pollution to the tributaries of the Ale and Tembesi rivers when the Tembesi river overflows, because the overflow of the Tembesi river reaches the FABA disposal location," he said.

Aji Surya, Campaigner for the Srikandi Lestari Foundation in North Sumatra, believes that instead of bringing light, the presence of the coal-fired power plant has actually covered Sumatra with thick smoke and toxic ash.

"In North Sumatra, the operation of the Pangkalan Susu PLTU has forced farmers to sell their rice fields, fishermen no longer get fish, diseases such as acute respiratory infection and skin diseases have become normal, even children must continue to consume medicines every day to avoid disease. This is not an energy transition as promised, this is an environmental tragedy," said Aji.

Meanwhile, Prabowo Pamungkas, Head of Advocacy Division of LBH Lampung added that the operation of the Sebalang and Tarahan PLTUs pollutes the environment due to coal spills along the road during the transportation process and damages roads in villages passed by coal transport trucks.

On the other hand, when checked, the website https://pengaduan.menlhk.go.id/ was still in the MAINTENANCE/REPAIR process, this is certainly an obstacle in submitting reports of environmental damage.