November 12, 2025 | 09:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, has formally declared that the Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive contamination in the Modern Cikande Industrial Area (MCIE) in Serang, Banten, has been cleared.
Minister Agus stated that the Ministry had received official confirmation from the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), signaling that the Cs-137 exposure in the industrial zone is "no longer an issue."
"The radioactive material is already clear, and we have also received a letter from Bapeten, so it is no longer an issue," Agus said in Jakarta on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Restructuring Scrap Import Policy
Following the resolution of the contamination, the government plans to finalize a decision regarding the relaxation of the temporary suspension on metal scrap imports. According to Agus, approval of the relaxation policy will serve as official confirmation that the radioactive contamination issue has been fully resolved.
To prevent future occurrences, the Ministry of Industry will formulate a comprehensive mechanism to ensure that industrial raw materials and final products remain free from radioactive exposure.
As part of this mechanism, the Ministry has issued instructions through the National Industrial Information System (SIINas) requiring all industrial sectors, particularly metal, food, and beverage, to submit regular reports every three months. These reports must include the results of monitoring radioactive levels within each company’s production process.
The Ministry of Industry is also mandating the submission of evidence that all raw materials used are free from radioactive or hazardous substances and a commitment letter for the installation of Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and Radiation Portal Monitoring (RPM) at all metal scrap melting facilities.
Chronology of the Cesium-137 Contamination
The contamination issue was detailed previously by Setia Diarta, Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics Industry at the Ministry of Industry, during a meeting with the House of Representatives' Commission VII.
Diarta explained that prior to the discovery of Cs-137-exposed shrimp from Indonesia by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dutch Customs had already reported finding radionuclide contamination in Indonesian-made sneakers.
Radiation experts from the Dutch nuclear authority (ANVS) confirmed the finding, noting that several boxes containing sneakers had a maximum radiation exposure increase of 110 nanoSv/hour (with background radiation typically at 20 nanoSv/hour) due to the presence of Cs-137.
Diarta confirmed that 24 companies were initially exposed to Cs-137, and the Cs-137 Radiation Hazard Handling Task Force has since completed decontamination at all affected production facilities. Furthermore, for the 12 contamination points outside the core area, decontamination is complete at seven sites, with sealing processes underway at the remaining five locations, based on Bapeten's recommendations.
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