Eras Poke, Kupang – A nongovernmental organization in East Nusa Tenggara has lodged a claim for a scientific evaluation of the long-term health damage that could result from last year's Timor Sea oil spill.
The spill, which lasted 74 days, occurred after the Montara oil rig, operated by PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of Thailand's PTT Exploration & Production, caught fire off Australia's northern coast in August 2009.
The Indonesian government said the spill affected 78,000 square kilometers of Indonesian waters and is currently seeking Rp 22 trillion ($2.44 billion) in compensation from the oil rig's operator.
Activists, however, say this figure is understated. Among the groups arguing for more compensation is the West Timor Care Foundation (YPTB), which has been lobbying on behalf of fishermen who claim to be affected by the spill.
YPTB's Frans Tulung said it submitted a claim last week for PTTEP Australasia and the Australian government to pay for a complete evaluation of the oil spill's impact.
Tulung said that because seafood was the staple diet for up to two million people in the province, the oil spill and related environmental damage posed a serious health threat.
Ferdi Tanoni, YPTB's chairman, said the organization decided to submit the claim on its own because the Indonesian government had failed to take into consideration the spill's long-term health impact on residents of East Nusa Tenggara.
"A study by Alaskan researchers showed that the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 reduced the life expectancy of the residents there by 20 years," Ferdi said. "This is the long-term effect that the Indonesian government has overlooked but that we are demanding must be studied."
The foundation has previously said the damage caused by the spill was worth about $15 billion.
Ferdi also lashed out at the government and provincial administration for not compiling a comprehensive list of residents affected by the spill.
"Besides the health problems, lots of fishermen and seaweed farmers have lost their livelihoods," he said. "The authorities must implement programs to ensure that they find work."
Frans said local fishermen and seaweed farmers had for months complained of reduced catches and dwindling harvests in the contaminated waters.
"Based on these considerations, we are calling for the formation of a joint, credible and accountable research team to evaluate the impact of the oil spill," Frans said.
"The team should comprise officials from the Indonesian and Australian governments, as well as from PTTEP Australasia and from community groups in East Nusa Tenggara."
YPTB's advocacy team includes Christine Mason, an oil law expert from Australia, and Welhelmus Wetan Songa, an international law professor at Nusa Cendana University in Kupang.