JakartaPost-Oct 6, 2025
We are conducting a comprehensive inspection that is still ongoing,” ministry special staffer Bara Khrisna Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post on Friday. “So far, material from two sites has been removed, and its transfer from other locations before final disposal is still in the process.” Authorities have swiftly decontaminated an industrial area in Banten after Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive contamination was detected, while providing treatment to nine residents who tested positive for exposure. A special task force under the Coordinating Food Ministry has been removing radioactive scrap metal from 10 contaminated storage sites in Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang, Banten, transferring the material to an interim facility within the area. Authorities believe contamination was primarily spread through airborne dust produced during the scrap metal melting process in a smelting plant near a factory of a large shrimp producer. “The decontamination is being carried out in coordination with the Environment Ministry, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the National Police. The investigation began in August after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected Cs-137 contamination in frozen shrimp imported from Indonesia, which drew international attention to the affected area. In response, the FDA announced new import certification requirements for Indonesian shrimp and spices, effective Oct. 31, 2025. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/10/06/govt-rushes-to-clean-up-cesium-137-spill-in-banten.html.
