The hot mud that is surging from PT Lapindo Brantas Inc.'s gas well in Sidoarjo, East Java, has remained unstoppable after over three months. The government's decision to take over the handling of the disaster through a national team for mudflow control gives the impression that the company is shirking its responsibilities. The deputy director of the East Java Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Catur Nusantara talked to The Jakarta Post's Indra Harsaputra about the issue.

Question: What do you think about the government's decision to handle the hot mudflow?

Answer: From the beginning, Lapindo has never been serious about handling the mudflow problem, which began on May 29. With the increasing complexity of the issue due to the absence of a lasting solution, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally instructed the national team for mudflow control in Sidoarjo to take measures to deal with the case.

In my view, the takeover was very late because the social problem of mudflow victims was already complicated. Now the local people don't trust anybody, not even the media and environmental activists, let alone the government and Lapindo. Even if the national team is serious about tackling the hot mudflow, it needs to work hard. Besides, it should be transparent in explaining to the public via the media what has actually happened and what concrete steps are to be taken by the victims, who have been living in even more dire conditions.

The national team has explained to journalists the government's plans, including its measures to rescue surrounding village communities. But the plans are conceptually unclear. An example is the statement of (energy minister) Purnomo Yusgiantoro on the declaration of a state of emergency and danger. In his description, the dangerous status is to be announced when hot mud threatens the safety of residents, destroys infrastructure and paralyzes East Java's economy, and under such circumstances mud water can be dumped into Porong River. At present, the government has declared a state of emergency but hot mud water continues to pour into the river. It's odd, as the mud water must in no way go to Porong River under the emergency status.

Wasn't it at the request of local residents that the mud water be immediately discharged into the river?

The majority of residents indeed agreed with the prompt disposal of hot mud water into Porong River and it's this local demand that eventually led to Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso's decision – though still without Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar's recommendation – to dump it into the river. All this had some reason. Lapindo came up with the idea of speedily dumping hot mud water into Porong River for the purpose of hastening problem settlement and saving its budget.

While preparing pipes and pumps for the discharge, Lapindo also sought the services of researchers from several universities to support the claim that the mud water and also hot mud contained no poison. The results were disseminated by the media to ease public worries about the mud water discharge.

Mudflow victims themselves had no choice but to agree with the disposal of untreated mud water into the river. First, they were in a difficult position with their homes being surrounded by hot mud ponds over five meters high. Second, there was no guarantee from Lapindo and the government for public safety and against the risk of any pond breach. Inevitably, they agreed and even staged a demo by blocking the Surabaya-Gempol turnpike and the Porong highway to urge the immediate removal of the mud.

So it's true that some interested parties persuaded local communities to accept the mud water discharge offer?

The interests connected with Lapindo's mud issue are endless. Various parties have obviously joined the game. Even among Sidoarjo's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) circles, Walhi was once rumored to share some interests in order to prevent the NU from filing a joint lawsuit with Walhi. The media was also reportedly playing a part by writing stories in favor of Lapindo. In Porong, facts can be distorted. Those with certain interests may emerge as heroes by blaming others genuinely struggling for the victims. Among the victims themselves there are interested people trying to seek personal profits from the sale value of land, by working as brokers to fix their neighbors' land prices. Therefore, they are ready to support whatever plan and program is offered by the government and Lapindo, even if it's unfavorable to local villagers. Mostly called Lapindo's brokers, they have contributed to attempts at persuading residents around the well site.

If the situation is dangerous and threatens the safety of the local population, will Walhi agree with the disposal of hot mud water into the river and sea?

We have expressed our disagreement from the start despite the treatment of hot mud water. But if it's too late and inevitable, Walhi will have to make the only choice of dumping mud water into Porong River as long as it is treated and the outcome of this treatment is transparently announced to the public before its discharge. In reality, the mud water is now flowing into the river.

Is Walhi going to sue Lapindo?

Yes, we're planning to sue Lapindo, the regional administration and the central government for the environmental damage. We don't trust the survey results stating that the untreated hot mud water is safe for the river and the marine environment. Wahli regrets the fact that academics who have a social responsibility delivered the survey findings. What is happening in Porong is a series of deceptions. We hope the value of honesty will be apparent in court and the truth can be exposed.

Is Walhi convinced that Lapindo will settle the payment of compensation money to mudflow victims?

No, we're not, and the compensation will not be evenly and fairly distributed. As I've earlier said, the hot mudflow has never been seriously handled. It's because of the tug of war between Lapindo and the government. Indirectly, the government should have shared the responsibility, but Vice President Jusuf Kalla at first expressed the government's disapproval of any spending on the Lapindo case. Meanwhile, Lapindo had indeed wished to shift the crisis handling to the government. Still, after some time the government eventually took over the control of the hot mudflow and this opened a big chance for Lapindo to evade its responsibility. We hope that Lapindo will keep its promise and remain prepared to pay whatever amount of compensation is agreed on to the rightful victims.