Court rules on Semen Indonesia Rembang mining activities

The Semarang (Central Java Province) State Administrative Court (PTUN) on Thursday ruled on the legality of the local government’s decision to allow PT Semen Indonesia to start mining activities in the area of its new cement plant project in Rembang, North Central Java. The ruling stated that PT Semen Indonesia could operate in the area.

Prior to the ruling, strong protest rallies were held against the construction of SI's planned cement factory in Rembang. The protesters were claiming  that the construction and operation of the cement factory could pose a threat to the ecosystem in the region.

Residents of Rembang, Central Java, had staged a series of rallies since last year, protesting the plan to build that plant in Watu Putih. They claimed that a factory would impact nearby water resources and thus directly degrade their livelihoods.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), an environmental NGO that had assisted the locals, estimated that the potential loss of water could reach 51m litres.