InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — The Ministry of Environment and Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has sealed and installed supervision notices at the plantation and palm oil mill operated by PT Tri Bahtera Srikandi (PT TBS), a subsidiary of PT Sago Nauli Plantation (PT SNP), in Tapanuli Tengah Regency, North Sumatra.
The action was taken as an immediate response to recent flooding in several areas of Sumatra. The sealing aims to temporarily halt operations deemed potentially harmful to local hydrological conditions while ensuring the company’s compliance with environmental regulations.
“This step strengthens government oversight of business activities that may affect water management and public safety,” said Environment Minister and Head of BPLH Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, when ordering the sealing on 7 December 2025.
The measure followed intensive monitoring by KLH/BPLH after extreme rainfall events and reports of environmental impacts in parts of North Sumatra. A field verification team was subsequently dispatched to PT TBS’s operational site.
Initial findings indicated practices requiring further clarification. As a precautionary measure, KLH/BPLH installed supervision signage and sealed operational areas to suspend potentially risky activities until environmental documents and explanations are fully reviewed.
“This sealing is not a final sanction, but an initial step to ensure all environmental obligations are fulfilled and operations do not worsen ecological conditions,” Minister Hanif said in an official statement received by InfoSAWIT, Sunday (14/12/2025).
KLH/BPLH has requested official explanations from PT SNP as the parent company and summoned relevant parties to submit Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) documents, environmental permits, and evidence of land management and monitoring practices. Inspectors will assess administrative and technical compliance, including soil conservation, drainage management, and erosion mitigation related to flood control.
The ministry stressed that the sealing is temporary and may be lifted once the company demonstrates full compliance and submits adequate corrective measures. However, KLH/BPLH warned it would proceed with administrative enforcement if serious environmental violations are confirmed.
“Flood disasters remind us that every business actor must fully carry out environmental responsibilities. Public safety and environmental carrying capacity must be the top priority,” Minister Hanif said.
KLH/BPLH has also instructed stronger cross-sector coordination with provincial and local governments to accelerate post-flood recovery, including river clearance and the reorganization of high-risk areas.
“We will continue monitoring, evaluating, and taking action against plantation and palm oil mill activities that may affect water systems and public safety. Environmental compliance is not an option—it is an obligation,” Hanif concluded. (T2)
