Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Cesium-137 Task Force has removed 975 tons of radioactive waste from an industrial zone in Banten Province, officials said Saturday, marking one of the country’s largest decontamination efforts as authorities work to complete the cleanup by the end of November.
Rasio Ridho Sani, deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Ministry of Environment and head of the task force’s mitigation division, said intensive work is underway at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang.
“The contaminated material has been moved to temporary storage at PT PMT. We expect the entire decontamination process to finish by late November,” Sani said.
He reported significant progress, noting that several factories previously identified as contaminated have now been cleared and allowed to resume operations.
According to Sani, radiation readings taken in the designated “Red Zones”—locations A, C1, D, H, and I—have been declared safe by the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Other locations, including B, E, F, and F1, are undergoing cementing using high-grade concrete, while preparatory work for containment continues at location C behind PT VP.
“Containment measures are being implemented to ensure public safety, including fencing off the affected area,” he said.
In a separate update, Bapeten confirmed progress at three contaminated sites in Penengahan District, South Lampung.
Yudi Pramono, director of the agency's Nuclear Engineering and Preparedness, said exposure to Cesium-137 at the sites has been mitigated through cementing.
Radiation levels have now dropped to below 0.5 microsieverts per hour, which is considered safe for public exposure.
“We will continue monitoring to ensure long-term safety for surrounding communities,” Pramono said.
