Finding Cesium-137 Nuclear Reactor Elements In Cikande Serang, Ministry Of Environment And Forestry Conducts Decontamination

LH-Head of BPLH Hanif Faisol Nurofiq in negotiations on the Global Plastic Agreement which was carried out as part of INC-5.2 in Geneva, Switzerland on 5-13 August 2025. (ANTARA-HO-KLH)

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment (LH) Hanif Faisol said the Cesium-137 contamination which is a dangerous element is suspected to have entered from abroad.

Hanif emphasized that the government is paying serious attention to the findings of the Cesium-137 radio nuclide in the Cikande industrial area, Serang Regency.

"Based on expert explanations, this element is only produced from nuclear reactors, because in Indonesia there is no nuclear reactor, it is possible that this contamination comes from other countries which then enter uncontrollably", said Hanif in Serang, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

He explained that the government had formed a special team to handle this case. The first step is done with decontamination in locations that are far enough to reduce the impact of exposure.

"The material will be temporarily stacked at PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), as the most likely place before we move it to long-term storage," he said.

Hanif emphasized that the government's experience in handling similar cases in 2019 in the Batan Indah area, South Tangerang, has become a reference in handling it now. "We make sure that the community will remain safe. The government handles this very seriously and prudently," he said.

According to him, the process of removing materials was carried out under the escort of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency (BAPETEN), and Gegana Polri. "A total of 7 quintals of materials were successfully transferred to PMT with radiation levels dropping to 0.07 to 0.04 microsieverts per hour (MR), equivalent to normal conditions in the field," he said.

He added that there are still small debris that must be cleaned. "Localization has been carried out at six points. One point is completed today, and the other five points will be handled in stages tomorrow," said Hanif.

The government is also preparing a long-term solution. "Deposits in PMT are temporary. The government together with BRIN and BAPETEN are formulating the construction of long-term storage facilities," he said.

Hanif ensured that the current environmental conditions were under control. "The value of radiation has dropped to 0.04]Sv/hour, the same as normal conditions. So this area is safe for the community. However, we will still check the health of the surrounding community," he said.