Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post 3 Oct 09;
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) residents are becoming more distressed by the massive oil spill in the Timor Sea, especially fishermen who depend on it for their livelihood.
NTT Deputy Governor Esthon Foennay said Friday his administration urgently responded to the offshore Australian Montara gas and oil field spillage. He said the Timor Sea, abundant with marine life, was at risk of being seriously damaged.
"The situation has affected fishermen in the Timor Sea," he said in NTT's capital city of Kupang.
"The provincial administration has reported the incident to the central government to instigate bilateral talks between Indonesia and Australia."
The oil slick was reported to have spread 80 kilometers, and is estimated to reach the shores of West Timor in the next two weeks.
The Indonesian Navy has deployed a naval vessel to gain further insight about the pollution level from local fishermen and West Timor Care Foundation reports.
"The Navy sent a ship to the Timor Sea on Thursday night aimed at observing the extent of damage caused by the crude-oil slick in Australia," a source said in Kupang.
The NTT legislative council has urged the central government to take a firm stance on Timor Sea pollution.
"We received reports the oil spill is getting closer to the Kolbano area in South Central Timor regency. Some residents were reportedly suffering from skin irritation and nausea after consuming fish. The issue is quite serious - the central government should take urgent steps to push Australia to clean up the mess," NTT legislative vice speaker Nelson Matara said on Thursday.
The Directorate General of Sea Transportation has instructed the Tenau Port administration in Kupang to immediately set up a command post to monitor the oil spill, which is believed to have polluted Indonesian waters.
The oil slick is currently located less than 80 kilometers from Rote Island, Indonesia's southernmost island.
Tenau Port Administration head Piter Fina has organized routine patrols to determine the oil slick's direction, which is expected to reach Indonesian shores in the middle of the month.
"We will continue to send reports to the central government," Piter said.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta said in a press statement Indonesian officials would visit Darwin this week to monitor the handling of the oil leak.
"The visit's aim is to observe Australia's measures to combat the spillage," Paul Robilliard, the Australian Embassy's deputy head of mission to Indonesia, said.
"Our measures would effectively minimize sea pollution.
"Authorities in Australia have applied nontoxic solvents to accelerate the cleanup process. After the slick dissolves, a nontoxic oil sheen will appear on the water's surface, which is not dangerous," he explained.
He also said authorities would conduct aerial patrols to observe the oil leak, and carry out procedures to confine the slick from spreading further.
"We immediately informed Indonesian authorities about the spill, and kept them notified about further developments. We intend to work with Indonesia to protect the environment," Robilliard said.
The Montara oil and gas field leaked on Aug. 21. An oil rig recently arrived at the Montara offshore oil rig to drill a replacement well to stop the leak.
West Timor Care Foundation director Ferdi Tanoni said his organization had forged an alliance with the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Greenpeace Indonesia, Greenpeace Australia, WWF Indonesia, WWF Australia and Ocean Watch, to carry out independent investigations into the environmental impacts caused by the pollution.
"We urge the Indonesian and Australian governments to take necessary steps to resolve the issue," he said.
