<![CDATA[Padang City has no coal mining area, yet it still bears the impacts of mining through the presence of coal stockpiles. Residents of Lubuk Begalung District complain of coal dust that harms respiratory health and damages their livelihoods, while the legality of some operators is questioned for allegedly conflicting with spatial planning. This study examines three issues: the licensing of coal stockpiles in Padang, government measures to control unlicensed stockpiles, and law enforcement against environmental pollution or destruction. It applies an empirical juridical method with a descriptive-analytical approach, using primary data from interviews with the Padang Environmental Agency, the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency, the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency, and the West Sumatra Provincial Environmental Agency, supported by secondary data and analyzed qualitatively. The findings show that stockpile licensing is processed under KBLI 52101 on warehousing and storage, requiring only a Warehouse Registration Certificate, with the system demanding merely an SPPL environmental statement. This code does not reflect the actual risk, since stockpiles are open piles generating dust, sediment-laden leachate, and rising pile temperatures. Responding to alleged pollution, the agency imposed government coercion by sealing four stockpile sites on 12 October 2023. Enforcement is available through administrative, civil, and criminal channels, but the criminal route has never been used due to limited environmental civil-servant investigators, accredited laboratories, and admissible evidence.]]>
