Indonesia: Communities see no transparent follow-up on IMIP violations despite government findings, report says
"Indonesian coastal villages in the dark over nickel pollution", Dialogue Earth, 5 November 2025
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A Kurisa elder [...] describes [...] how hot, pungent waste flows from the IMIP to the sea, rendering it unfishable. He says this has cost the area’s fishers their livelihoods, and that they have been forced to scavenge for discarded plastic bottles as an alternative way to earn a living.
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[...] Villagers also live with air pollution from the coal plants that power the IMIP’s operations.
The government imposed sanctions on the IMIP for environmental violations. Months later, however, villagers and NGOs monitoring the situation say they have yet to see action being taken. [...].
[...] In June, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment announced it had found multiple environmental violations within the IMIP complex. These included air pollution and an estimated 12 million metric tonnes of illegal tailings deposits. Furthermore, 1,800 hectares of land not included in the company’s original environmental impact statement had been built upon and used for unauthorised activities.
The ministry announced it would impose administrative sanctions on PT IMIP. [...].
However, months later, locals and monitoring NGOs say they have been left in the dark about the sanctions and their implementation.
Dialogue Earth reached out to Elyta Gawi, head of Morowali’s environmental agency, Irawan of the Environment Ministry, and Kurniawan of PT IMIP, for comments on any follow-up actions. Responses were not received.
[...] responding to the government’s findings in June, Kurniawan said PT IMIP had submitted an environmental impact assessment report for the disputed 1,800 hectares of land in 2023. He added that the company and its tenants monitor air quality in real-time, and had installed technology to reduce emissions from smelting activities.