December 4, 2025 | 06:59 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq announced that the Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has named metal smelting plant PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT) as a suspect in the case of Cesium-137 radioactive contamination discovered in the Modern Industrial Area of Cikande, Serang, Banten.
Although the investigation is ongoing, a total of 1,136 tons of material have been confirmed to be exposed to radiation.
Minister Hanif emphasized the critical need for the immediate construction of permanent storage facilities, noting that radioactive materials like Cesium-137 have an active lifespan exceeding six decades. Due to limited proper facilities, the contaminated materials are currently held in PT PMT's emergency storage.
"Adequate storage facilities are required for this," Hanif stated during a working meeting at the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission XII in Jakarta on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
He urged the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) to provide detailed planning support for handling the contaminated materials. Furthermore, Hanif requested the support of DPR members to expedite coordination regarding material storage locations with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Clean-up Progress
According to Hanif, the clean-up of 12 affected points has been completed. However, one specific location requires further detailed handling due to the suspected presence of radioactive materials beneath the building's foundation. The residents of that location have been safely relocated while awaiting the assessment results from BRIN and Bapeten.
"If necessary, it seems inevitable that we must replace the houses. We will demolish them if decontamination cannot be carried out," he stated.
During a separate DPR meeting in early November 2025, Setia Diarta, Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics Industry at the Ministry of Industry, outlined the timeline of the Cs-137 exposure in Cikande.
The discovery was not an isolated incident. Prior to the contamination of shrimp being flagged by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Dutch Customs had already reported the presence of radionuclide contamination in Indonesian-made sneakers.
This initial discovery by Dutch Customs was later confirmed by the radiation experts at the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection. Their findings showed that several boxes of sneakers had a maximum radiation exposure increase of 110 nanoSv/hour (compared to a background radiation of 20 nanoSv/hour) due to Cesium-137. At that time, the government had only managed to address seven of the twelve contaminated locations.
Read: Minister Claims US Trust Restored in Indonesian Shrimp Exports
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Environment Ministry Seeks Additional Rp28bn for Cesium-137 Remediation
5 menit lalu
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stressed that managing the area contaminated with Cesium-137 requires substantial financial resources.
Minister Claims US Trust Restored in Indonesian Shrimp Exports
1 hari lalu
The United States remains Indonesia's largest market for shrimp, with the export value reaching around US$1 billion per year.
Indonesia Exports Cesium-137-Free, Certified Shrimp to the US
1 hari lalu
The Indonesian government has allowed the shipment of 182 tons of shrimp to the United States, worth Rp25 billion.
Indonesia Resumes Shrimp Exports to US After Contamination Case
9 hari lalu
The Indonesian government confirmed that the U.S. requires a radioactive-free certificate for shrimp and cloves imported from Indonesian regions.
Indonesia to Destroy Two Containers of Cesium-137-Tainted Footwear Returned by the US
9 hari lalu
Indonesia's Cesium-137 task force says contaminated footwear shipments will be disposed of in agreement with the manufacturer.
All 22 Cikande Factories Exposed to Cesium-137 Have Been Fully Decontaminated
17 hari lalu
Chair of the Diplomacy Division of the Cs-137 Handling Task Force stated that a total of 22 factories and 13 junkyard booths have completed the decontamination process.
Today's Top 3 News: Purbaya Talks of Whoosh Debt Burden Sharing Plan Between Gov't and Danantara
19 hari lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
US Asks Indonesia Not to Halt Imports Amid Cesium-137 Contamination Issues, Says Minister
19 hari lalu
The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs has addressed the impact of Cesium-137 contamination on bilateral trade between Indonesia and the U.S.
Current Condition of Charoen Pokphand's Cikande Factory After Cesium-137 Contamination
21 hari lalu
In addition to PT Charoen Pokphand, the government has completed the decontamination of all factories contaminated with Cesium-137.
Walmart Ready to Help Restore Indonesia's Product Reputation After Cesium-137 Case
21 hari lalu
In addition to meeting with Walmart representatives, Indonesia's Cs-137 Task Force also held discussions with American seafood associations.
