The mitigation process included on-site decontamination and multiple laboratory tests, all of which met national safety standards.
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that all locations previously identified with traces of radioactive material have been permanently secured.
“The task force has completed the handling of cesium-137 radionuclides in South Lampung,” he said in Serang, Banten, on Friday.
He added that the cemetery area where the initial contamination was detected has been sealed with concrete to prevent further spread of radioactive particles.
“The area in South Lampung, particularly at the cemetery site, is now clear,” Hanif confirmed.
Hanif explained that the next step is to ensure all products previously suspected of exposure are handled according to safety procedures, including plans for re-export from Surabaya.
“On October 31, our team in Surabaya is waiting for the re-export of the clove shipment under review,” he said.
“For Lampung, the process is complete, and all control measures have been carried out according to safety standards,” he added.
Hanif assured that the government will continue to monitor follow-up testing until all affected products and areas are officially declared safe for public activities.
Earlier, the Cesium-137 Radionuclide Radiation Risk Task Force (Cs-137 Task Force) reported that only one out of 12 containers of cloves exported to the United States was suspected of being contaminated with radioactive substances.
“One container suspected of Cs-137 contamination is scheduled to arrive in Surabaya on October 29, 2025. So, only one container is under suspicion,” said Bara Krishna Hasibuan, Head of the Task Force’s Diplomacy and Communication Division.
The task force has conducted field inspections at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, and coordinated with the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) for laboratory analysis to ensure the container’s safety.
“If contamination is confirmed, the product will be destroyed immediately to protect public safety,” Bara said.
He emphasized that the clove processing facility owned by PT Natural Java Spice (NJS) in Surabaya and the company’s clove plantations in Pati, Central Java, have both been declared contamination-free and given clean and clear status.
In Lampung, the Cs-137 Task Force, in coordination with Bapeten, conducted radiation tracing across six locations, including a metal smelting plant, a clove warehouse, clove farms supplying PT NJS in three sub-districts, and an initial survey site in Penengahan Sub-district, South Lampung District.
Samples of water, soil, and cloves were also collected from five locations for laboratory analysis.
Test results showed that Cs-137 contamination was found only in a small portion of clove commodities.
Other products such as coffee, cocoa, areca nut, and Javanese chili were confirmed to be free from radioactive exposure.
The radiation levels detected were classified as very low and posed no immediate health risks to nearby residents.
Related news: Task force accelerates radioactive decontamination, moves 91 residents
Related news: Indonesia continues relocation of Cesium-137-affected residents
Related news: Cs-137 decontamination targeted for completion in December: Minister
Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
