Socio-Environmental Capacity Building in Coal Mining Concession Area During Pandemic Covid-19: A sharing from Trubaindo Coal Mining, East Borneo, Indonesia

Authors
Permatasari, Dewi; Herlambang, Sony; Cahyono, Budhi; Rahadin, Puji; Messias, FX Firman; Sugiharto, Deddy

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, since the beginning of 2020, has become a global epidemic which compels various industries and activities in the world to make adjustments in order to strive and continue their activities. In this paper, we discuss the efforts to continue community empowerment-based environmental management in coal mining operations in Indonesia. Trubaindo Coal Mining, also known as TCM, is a coal mining business in West Kutai, Indonesia. In this case, it continues to strive to increase the capacity and inventory of community empowerment-based environmental management programs with new challenges during the pandemic. Several programs have successfully increased their monitoring efforts, including activities to save diesel fuel use, optimize the use of resources to reduce the generation of Toxic and Hazardous Waste and Non-Toxic and Hazardous Waste, dust management, reuse of treated water from stabilization ponds, conservation of endemic plants, and empowering local communities. The whole program was originally a preliminary effort from TCM towards consistent environmental management in coal mining activities. Program monitoring also continues with related parties by implementing health protocols that comply with standards. Based on monitoring in 2020, it is known that the program implemented by TCM could increase energy efficiency by 16.77 GJ, emission reduction by 5 tons of particulate matter, utilization of Toxic and Hazardous Waste and Non-Toxic and Hazardous Waste amounting to 2 to 20 tons and 52,031 tons respectively, water efficiency by 81,000 m3 and a decrease in pollution load wastewater to the environment 20 tons. In addition, it was also successful to record 16,282 the population number of West Kutai endemic plants in the reclamation area. As for community empowerment activities, TCM collaborates with the people of Mendika Village to implement integrated agriculture to fulfill the local food needs of West Kutai, especially during a pandemic where there is no access from and to outside the West Kutai area. The program is expected to be sustainable in the future, and to strengthen the value of environmental management for both mining business actors and the community and related parties around them.