Tangerang, Aug. 9 -- The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has shut down two iron and steel smelting companies in the Jatiuwung area of Tangerang, Banten, due to environmental pollution and regulatory violations, including a lack of exhaust gas controls.

"We have closed them because they were proven to have polluted the environment through the iron smelting process and the hazardous and toxic materials they used," Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated after inaugurating the Blue Sky Task Force and launching the "Return Our Blue Sky" movement in Tangerang City on Saturday.

Nurofiq stated that the two companies are currently under investigation, and the KLH will provide assistance to ensure that any sanctions imposed comply with...