"The safety and health of workers and residents is our priority,"Serang, Banten (ANTARA) - Twenty of the 22 factories previously exposed to radioactive Cesium-137 (Cs-137) in the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate, Serang District, Banten, have been officially declared free of contamination.
The Cs-137 Radionuclide Radiation Management Task Force overseeing the cleanup ensures the decontamination process is proceeding optimally.
"Of the 22 factories previously declared contaminated, 20 have completed decontamination and have been declared clear and clean," the task force's Head of the Diplomacy and Communications Division, Bara Krisna Hasibuan, informed on Friday.
Hasibuan addressed that the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) conducted verification of contamination-free areas before issuing the official inspection report (BAP).
"BRIN conducted the laboratory checks and handed over the results to Bapeten to be declared clear and clean," he explained.
During today's field visit, the Task Force also removed the Environmental Protection Supervision (PPLH) line at the PT Jongka Indonesia factory and a scrap metal mill in Kampung Sadang, which has been declared radiation-free.
The government continues to educate workers and residents through outreach activities around the industrial area, through the Ministry of Health's official channels, and by installing information boards at strategic locations.
Hasibuan emphasized that public safety is a top priority.
"The safety and health of workers and residents is our priority," he emphasized.
Regarding the source of the contamination, the investigation is still being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police and the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment, he conveyed.
"The investigation is still ongoing to determine the contamination of metal scrap reaching the PT PMT factory facility. The factory has been closed, and the owner has returned to his country," he stated.
Meanwhile, the Deputy for Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment, Inspector General Rizal Irawan, added that the government is taking both criminal and civil legal actions in this case.
"Criminal matters are being handled by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police, while civil matters or environmental disputes are being handled by the Deputy for Environmental Legal Approach," he said.
Last August, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) returned some frozen shrimp exports from Indonesia due to the discovery of radioactive Cesium-137 contamination.
In response, the Cs-137 Radionuclide Radiation Management Task Force took action through the Environment Ministry by sealing the factory area suspected of being the source of the contamination in Cikande while decontamination is underway.
Related news: Polluting firms must pay for Cesium-137 cleanup: RI Govt
Related news: RI Govt pledges aid for residents near radiation site
Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
