December 4, 2025 | 07:54 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has proposed an additional budget of Rp28 billion for the 2026 fiscal year to support the ongoing remediation of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in the Modern Industrial Area of Cikande, Banten.
During a working meeting at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, stressed that managing the area contaminated with radioactive material requires substantial financial resources.
"We ask for support from the DPR Commission XII to resolve the issue of Cesium-137," Hanif stated at the DPR RI complex in Jakarta.
Funding Challenges and Inter-Agency Coordination
Hanif highlighted that the Ministry faces challenges because it does not possess specific duties or functions related to radiological activities or managing radioactive waste. He emphasized that the proposed budget has been carefully calculated to account for the extensive coordination needed among various relevant agencies, including the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN).
The Minister stressed the critical importance of effectively managing the radioactive Cs-137 case to restore international confidence in the safety of Indonesian export products. The crisis began in August 2025 when the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) detected Cs-137 in frozen shrimp products originating from Indonesia.
Cleanup Status and Contaminated Storage
After several months of concerted effort, Minister Hanif reported that radioactive decontamination at 12 points within the industrial area has been completed. However, one specific site remains under intense investigation: a building where the lower section of its foundation is suspected of being exposed to radiation.
During the same meeting, Hanif also addressed the continuing issue of 1,136 tons of contaminated material that are still being held at the temporary storage facility of PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT). The scrap iron management company was recently declared a suspect in the radioactive Cs-137 case by the Indonesian National Police's Criminal Investigation Department.
Read: Smelting Plant PT PMT Named Suspect in Cikande Cesium-137 Contamination
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