Enviro News Asia, Serang – The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has taken swift and decisive measures to address Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive contamination in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, Serang, Banten Province. This effort aims to protect the public and the environment from potential radiation hazards while reinforcing the government’s commitment to public safety and environmental restoration.
Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, in his capacity as Daily Chair of the Task Force for Handling Cs-137 Radiation Hazards, personally led the decontamination process and the removal of contaminated material. A radiation source in the form of 700 kilograms of scrap metal was successfully secured from a metal collection site in Barengkok Village and transported to interim storage prepared within the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate.
“The government has established a special team to address this matter, and starting today, the decontamination process will be carried out in stages. We will monitor the process together, and the government is handling all of this with the utmost seriousness,” Minister Hanif emphasized in his official statement.
Minister Hanif also explained the origins of the Cs-137 contamination and the government’s steps to address it. He stressed that, based on expert assessments, the contamination most likely originated from uncontrolled sources abroad.
During the cleanup and relocation of the Cs-137 radioactive material, Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq was accompanied by task force members from the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Unit (KBRN) of the Police Gegana Squad, as well as Rasio Ridho Sani, Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Ministry of Environment. They ensured that all safety protocols were strictly followed to prevent radiation leakage or airborne spread.
The radioactive Cs-137 contamination was transported using a closed truck lined with lead (Pb) to prevent radiation from escaping. The process was carried out with extreme caution to ensure the safety of personnel and the surrounding environment.
In addition to the first site, the task force will also conduct decontamination at five other locations suspected of being contaminated with Cs-137. All activities are being conducted under strict supervision and with full precautionary principles to protect communities and ensure the radiation source is fully secured.
Minister Hanif further explained that the government would adopt additional measures based on expert recommendations to strengthen environmental recovery. He noted that one suggestion under consideration is planting sunflowers around the affected sites.
“These plants are known for their vegetative ability to absorb and mitigate potential radiation effects. We will carefully consider and follow up on this recommendation as part of a comprehensive environmental restoration effort,” Minister Hanif elaborated. (*)
