Abstract

The gas development project on Pagerungan Besar Island may have several negative and positive impacts on the local environment. ARCO is responsible for minimizing or preventing the negative impacts and to enhance the positive impacts of the project through the implementation of the environmental management and monitoring program. One such program which has been initiated by ARCO is a Community Development Program on Pagerungan Besar Island. The goal of the development program is to establish a sound balance between the project, the physical environment and the socio-economic and cultural environment of the island.

Various sectors of the "rural socio-economic" program will be developed within the community development plan. These include such areas as community health and education, marine-culture, rural industry, physical infrastructure improvement, and institutional improvement. To encourage the implementation of this development and also to prevent social conflict due to the other impacts, ARCO has also managed the physical-chemical-biological impacts, through artificial reef installations, improvements in fresh water supply, job and trade opportunities for the local people, and installation of sewage and drill cutting treatment plants. The Community Development Program is focused on 5 areas: (a) Religious; (b) Social; (c) Education; (d) Health & sanitation; (e) KUBE (Cooperative Facilities).