A Summary-Respond Essay to The Impact Of Illegal Mining by Ade Apip

Zakaria

this task was done for fulfil the Reading class- English final assignment

Reading Class:
16
Name:
Hendro Yosua
Student Number:
16410127

Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering

2011

The Impact of Illegal Mining

In the argumentative article The Impact of Illegal Mining which written by Ade Apip
Zakaria (1), it is explained that the illegal mining was a harmful activity. Although the mining
itself is very useful but the illegal one is making a disadvantage. This is very detrimental to the
government because there is no divided wealth and cant be monitored. The people who live
around the site also gained the big losses. The community forest area reduced. But, the illegal
miners still had no responsibility because they feel it free without supervison. Almost all of the
negatives impacts were coming from the less- paying attention to work safety factor. This all of
impacts of illegal mining could be prevented by make a strict rules, because Indonesia, which
already well known for its richness in natural resources should manage it well. For several
reason, I have no doubt with the author that illegal mining caused many of negative effects and
many parties were harmed by it.
First reason, all business entities should oblige to pay taxes to the government. The tax
liability of mining operations had been regulated under Law no.11 years 1967 (2). One of our
biggest countrys income is from mining industry. Because of the illegal mining, there is no
benefit comes for government. They didnt divide the wealth they gained to the government. Of
course the country would get much losses. The government also couldnt monitore the operation
since there was no written permission. Perpetrators of illegal mining activities could have
cheated the government which resulted losses for the government. Whereas, we know that he
natural resources arent belong to anybody. It should be used as well as possible for the society
welfare.
Second, the illegal mining may destruct the villager residence. It will be felt by people
who lived around the illegal mining site. The worst, the illegal miners must be willing to natural
resources around them could be dredged up without the slightest sense of the nature around
them. From the web, it is known that several natural places in East Nusa Tenggara had been
destructed for the manganese mining. The protected forest also destructed too. Trees burned,
mountain and hill excavated just to find mangan. For the consequences, the landslides and
flooding will appear in rainy seasons (3). Imagine all the people who lived there .They had to
accept the disadvantages without any compensation. They have no home anymore, their
livelihoods destroyed just like that by the irresponsible hand.
Third, it harmed the nature. Sometimes the mining excavated the hills or the mountain
for the mining area like the forests that were depleted due to illegal gold mining in Soreang, West
Java(4). This actually may cause some disaster later such as landslide, flood, etc. Furthemore, it
depleted the forests. Half of the forest area may reduced because of mining. They also did not
care about the environmental impact such as mercury waste disposal. For example, the water
irrigation for Leuwikuya mining which objected the farmers for own interest (5) and water crisis

because mechanical equipment which threatening the environment of district that is streamed
DAS (Daerah Aliran Sungai) in Brantas (6). The foundation of the Brantas River continues to
experience shrinkage. Of course the raw ground water collected in check dams will not be able to
drain hundreds of hectares of agricultural land in the region until kab Blitar Kab Mojokerto
including fulfillment of the raw water to PDAM Surabaya.
Last, the worst impact is the illegal mining claimed death toll. The example is the
excavation of sand mining activities in the illegal area in Cape Jorong Bungo, Kanagarian Saok
Laweh, Kubu district, Solok regency, West Sumatera. Lanslided that was caused by the illegal
mining activities made the landslide that killed three children Faith and Ani Asymar couples
which also resulted nine residents was sent and treated at the Military Hospital of Solok(7).
Many of the negative reason above happened because of the miners carelessness. Major
of them were not spared from the negative impacts. They paying less attention to worker safety
procedure due to the lack of specific benchmarks on work safety in mining. In Indonesia the
mining company tended to gain maximum interest rather than welfare the community. It would
be better if they supposed to employ the local people and train them until they become a
professional. Actually, this is the important social investation for the company. If the community
think that the company give the benefit to them automatically they will protect that company
because the development of the company means development in their life too. Unfortunately, the
mining company often choose the another way which doesnt spend much cost for the
company(8).
Some people viewed that illegal mining activities is the appropriate action. They think
they could do it freely. It is absolutely wrong. There is no cultivication of the natural resource
without the intervention of outsiders, in this case the supervision of the government. The facts is
there is a punishment according to the Law which regulated the mining operations like punished
with imprisonment for six-year-old and / or a fine of five hundred thousand rupiah, who did not
have mining rights to mining operations (2). The obligations of the law are taught by all religions
so all the people should be obedient invariably, without any excuse.
The conclusion is illegal mining activities clearly contain many negative impacts and
have no advantages. It harms the nature, the people, and the government. The worst impact was
felt by the people who lived around the site because not only their nature was corrupted but they
also feel the waste and debris that threaten health and even their lives. For the future, I suggest
we should stop all the action of illegal mining. One of the simplest way is upholding the rule and
the law in mining operation. Contributing and cooperation of all parties is importantly needed
here. Indonesia is include one of the most potential country in the mining energy resources fields.
In order of that we must thank for that and take no any illegal action in cultivating it. With the
participation from the government and all the people the management can be optimized for the
country welfare itself, Indonesia.

References

(1)http://adeapip.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/the-impact-of-illegal-mining/
(The essay resources)
(2) psdg.bgl.esdm.go.id/kepmen_pp_uu/UU_11_1967.pdf
(Law No.11 1967; Basic Provisions of Mining)
(3) http://berdikarionline.com/opini/20100923/pertambangan-batu-mangan-di-ntt.html
(Manganese Mining in East Nusa Tenggara)
(4)http://uwadadang.blogspot.com/2007/12/penghancuran-lingkungan-berlanjut.html
(Depleted forest because of illegal gold mining in Soreang)
(5) http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/node/128942
(Leuwikuya water irrigation)
(6)http://www.harianbhirawa.co.id/konflik/28091-penambangan-pasir-ancam-tenggelamkan-dasbrantas
(Sand Mining in Brantas)
(7) http://www.tribunnews.com/2010/03/24/diduga-akibat-penambangan-galian-c-illegal
(West Sumatera Lanslide because the illegal mining)
(8) http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=121863484511796&topic=296
(Impact of Mining)

Attachment

The Impact of Illegal Mining

In Illegal mining Becomes a major problem for coal producers Sudibyo M. Wiradji explained
that illegal mining is an activity that is harmful, not just hurt the government but also detrimental
to the balance of the mine area. I strongly agree with the author because many of the negative
impacts caused by illegal mining activities.
Word illegal have negative connotations when combined with a word. Likewise if the word is
combined with the word mining. Initially, the mining activity is an activity that is very useful
because it produces material that is needed by all people, be full of activity with potential
negative effects. Many people will feel the negative impact of illegal mining activities by doing
this. The parties are the government, the conditions of the mining area, and the public about the
illegal mining areas. Of course many people who feel disadvantaged, the illegal mining activity
must stop immediately.
All business entities in Indonesia is obliged to pay taxes to the government. This is what always
gets paid by companies with legal permission. But what about companies without permission as
illegal mining activities? There is no tax that comes into the government cash from illegal mining
operations. This is very detrimental to the government. Illegal mining company with a heart as
good as dredge the country without dividing the wealth he gained to the government which is
responsible for our country, Indonesia. Tax liability on these mining operations are regulated
under Law No. 11 years in 1967 on Basic Provisions of Mining. So if the mining company did
not pay taxes, surely the government will suffer losses.
In addition, the government also can not monitor illegal mining activities since there was no
written permission from the Government in terms of incorporation of illegal mining. Perpetrators
of illegal mining activities could have done with no attention to the laws and regulations
applicable to activities they do. Of course, in this case could have cheated the government which
resulted in losses for the government.
Not only up there, the biggest losses from illegal mining activities will be felt by the people who
live around the site of illegal mining. No one knows what will happen if the illegal mining in the
vicinity of their residence is allowed. Clearly, the impact would they feel bad. Among them is the
destruction of their neighborhood that culminate in a natural disaster that threatens not only
property, but also threaten the lives of surrounding communities. The miners usually had no
responsibility for the impact of all this, because they feel they can not be supervised by the
government. Whats worse, they must be willing to natural resources around them could be
dredged up without the slightest sense of the nature around them.
For example, such cases of illegal mining that occurred in East Nusa Tenggara. Protected forest
destruction continues to occur in several places. Replanted trees and greenery destroyed to find
manganese. Mountain and hill excavated to create gaping holes. When the rainy season,
landslides and flooding appeared in the former location of excavation. Protected forest and bush
was burned in order to be monitored if there is a stone that looks manganese in the soil surface.
(www.batukar.info; 2010)

While difficult to prevent illegal mining, the forest was reduced. Forest people who should have
guarded and preserved to become victims of greed people irresponsible. As forests are depleted
due to illegal gold mining in the area Soreang, West Java. Forest areas in the village / district.
Kutawaringin which encroached upon the illegal gold miners is winner Kalpataru 1995. Caused
by illegal mining makes community forest area reduced from 141 hectares in size by half or 70
hectares. atusan illegal gold miners into forests, people in the Village and Village Cibodas
Kutawaringin. Gold mining did not care about the environmental impacts such as waste disposal
of mercury. Farmers also objected to the use of water for irrigation Leuwikuya gold mining
interests. (www.pikiranrakyat-online.com; 2010)
Hoping the sweet, bitter that the public actually get results. Not a natural result of how they feel,
but waste and sewage is what they feel. It also is one of loss felt by the people around the
location of illegal mining. Has been mentioned above that the perpetrators of such illegal miners
had no responsibility because they feel free to do its business without supervision from the
government. Therefore, in terms of production waste was illegally mining companies are usually
not too concerned with whether, in fact impressed by letting the waste and throw it to the place
where the source of peoples lives around like discarded to the river-stream.
The impact of this illegal mining felt by communities around times Brantas. Action illegal sand
mining using mechanical equipment in the area of watershed (catchment) Brantas, threatening
the environment of district / city that is streamed DAS Brantas. A number of decrees on water
science experts 2012 will clean the water crisis and the crisis of the raw ground water, for
irrigation in the downstream area of the Brantas River that starts from roughly Kab Kediri,
Nganjuk, Mojokerto, Jombang, Sidoarjo to City Surabaya. The most dangerous again after the
foundation of the Brantas River continues to experience shrinkage. So the impact, raw ground
water collected in check dams will not be able to drain hundreds of hectares of agricultural land
in the region until kab Blitar Kab Mojokerto. Including fulfillment of the raw water to PDAM
Surabaya. (www.harianbhirawa.com; 2010)
In addition to the above example, another example that until the claimed death toll is the
excavation of sand mining activities in the areas c illegal gift. Landslides that killed three
children Faith and Ani Asymar couples and resulted in nine residents of Cape Jorong Bungo,
Kanagarian Saok Laweh, Kubu District, Solok regency, West Sumatra, was treated at the
Military Hospital of Solok, Wednesday, allegedly due to rampant sand mining excavation c,
illegal. (www.tribunnews.com; 2010)
The miners were not spared from the negative impacts. They threatened his safety in the absence
of further knowledge about safety in the mining site. Most of the illegal mine owners paying less
attention to worker safety factor due to the lack of specific benchmarks / grip on work safety in
mining.
Many parties who view illegal mining activities is the appropriate action. They think they can
cultivate their own natural resources without the intervention of outsiders. Facts are now in
Indonesia, almost all major mining dominated by people overseas who will particularly
disadvantage the State because we are only a guest in his own State. However, when considering
the problem of negative impacts of illegal mining activities, viewed from any aspect of this

activity can not be justified. From a legal perspective, for example, already have laws that
regulate mining activities and ban the illegal mining activities. According to Law No. 11 year
1967 Article 31, Punished with imprisonment for six-year-old and / or a fine of five hundred
thousand rupiah, who did not have mining rights to mining operations. This can be attributed to
the obligation of every society to be obedient and submissive to his government, because doing
illegal activities mean sodium absorption ratio is subject to regulations made by the government.
These obligations are taught by all religions, including Islam religion.
From the above description, we can conclude that many parties are harmed by the illegal mining
activities. Government party injured by the lack of cash income for the State of the perpetrators
of illegal mining. The worst impact was felt by people living around the site illegal mining. Not
only their corrupt nature, but they also feel the waste and debris that threaten health and even
their lives. Therefore, it should be an action that can stop all forms of illegal mining. To be able
to stop the illegal mining activities, have made a strict rule. For the smooth implementation of
this rule is needed cooperation from the District Head, Head Village and related apparatus for
supervising, smooth operation of mining protection against mining activity that has permission
from the appropriate authority as Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, Governors, or
other officials designated by delegation of authority according to their respective authority.
Indonesian mining already showing progress. Indonesia is known as tin and nickel producer in
the world. Indonesia is also rich in coal, petroleum, copper, gold and other mining materials
which would be extremely useful when used properly. Therefore, let us together government
utilize and manage what God has bestowed us with a thoughtful nature. Do not just be selfish
and explore their own natural resources without any wisdom at all. If we and the government has
been able to properly manage natural resources, it is not impossible that all this prosperity we
desire will materialize. Remember, Indonesia is a country with rich natural resources. All
depends on us, the human resources to manage it all with as good and as wise as possible so that
natural resources can be enjoyed by all people of Indonesia.
http://adeapip.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/the-impact-of-illegal-mining/