Enviro News Asia, Cilegon — Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, has confirmed the start of environmental law enforcement proceedings against PT Vopak Terminal Merak following a hazardous chemical gas incident in Cilegon, Banten.
The Ministry stated that administrative and legal enforcement measures are being carried out in parallel with an ongoing investigation by the Indonesian National Police (Polri) into the incident, which occurred on Saturday, 31 January 2026. The move aims to ensure legal accountability for health impacts suffered by local residents exposed to nitric acid (HNO₃) vapour.
The incident was triggered by a chemical reaction during a steam pipe cleaning process, resulting in 56 residents being exposed to the toxic gas and requiring intensive medical treatment. In response, KLH/BPLH, in coordination with local authorities, conducted ambient air quality measurements using portable gas detectors to ensure environmental conditions had returned to safe levels.
Preliminary findings revealed that PT Vopak Terminal Merak, a foreign-investment company handling hazardous and toxic materials (B3), had administrative compliance gaps. The company’s Temporary Hazardous Waste Storage Facility (TPS Limbah B3) permit was found to have expired in January 2024.
Minister Hanif stressed that negligence in managing hazardous and toxic materials poses serious risks to public safety and environmental sustainability. He emphasized that no tolerance would be given to violations involving B3 substances.
“We will take firm action in this case. We fully support the police investigation, including the potential application of environmental criminal provisions for negligence that has affected public health. In parallel, we are preparing expert support for possible government litigation and reviewing environmental approvals and hazardous waste management practices to prevent similar incidents,” Hanif said.
As a follow-up measure, KLH/BPLH has initiated an environmental audit and a comprehensive evaluation of all hazardous waste storage activities and technical management procedures at the facility. The review includes integrating detailed technical specifications of the B3 storage facility into the company’s pending Environmental Approval to ensure strict safety standards are fully enforced.
The Ministry highlighted that hazardous chemical storage in densely industrialized areas such as Cilegon requires uncompromising oversight. Minister Hanif reiterated that the incident should serve as a national warning to all industrial operators handling hazardous substances.
The government, he said, will not hesitate to tighten supervision and impose legal sanctions on companies lacking proper permits and adequate environmental management systems, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the public’s right to a clean and healthy environment. (*)
