Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, during a visit to the site on Tuesday, said the operation is being carried out with utmost caution and strict monitoring at every contaminated point.
"The room is small, so the process is slow. Each worker is only allowed to stay in the area for two minutes," he explained.
The decontamination is being conducted jointly with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN), and the Police’s Gegana unit using a Radiation Wash P40 solution.
"This is a highly dangerous substance, so every step must be precise. After two minutes, the worker is rotated out for safety," Nurofiq added.
Of the ten identified contamination points, two have been declared neutral, while five others remain under process.
The decontamination process is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Nurofiq said that to prevent the spread of radioactive material, all trucks and containers leaving the industrial area must pass through Radiation Portal Monitoring.
“Vehicles are checked around the clock. If Cesium is detected, the vehicle is immediately sent for decontamination,” he added.
The government has also restricted local residents' movement until a safe radius is established.
"We will continue monitoring. Any remaining radiation exposure will be quickly contained," he stated.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to resolving the incident. “There is doubt that Indonesia takes this radiation issue very seriously,” he said.
Previously, the Cesium-137 Task Force announced plans to investigate reports of radioactive contamination in cloves, while continuing efforts to address similar findings of Cs-137 in shrimp.
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Translator: Devi, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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