Government Declares Cesium-137 Contamination Emergency Over
The Indonesian Government has officially announced that the emergency response phase for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination has ended.
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs said the emergency response to radioactive Cesium-137 contamination in the Modern Cikande industrial estate in Serang, Banten, has been completed.
“The Indonesian Government has officially announced that the emergency response phase for the Cesium-137, or Cs-137, contamination emergency has ended,” Bara Krishna Hasibuan, an expert adviser to the Food Affairs Minister for digital transformation and inter-agency relations, said at the ministry’s office in Jakarta on Monday.
Bara, who also leads diplomacy and communications for the Cs-137 Response Task Force, said coordinated efforts by multiple ministries and agencies over the past year had delivered significant results in environmental recovery, public health protection and stronger food-safety assurances for international trading partners.
Key achievements in the Cs-137 response included continuous radiation surveys, decontamination and environmental monitoring across the Modern Cikande industrial estate and within a five-kilometre radius.
“Based on inspections by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) on 24 September 2026 at 12 previously affected sites, radiation dose rates were recorded below the threshold and no new contamination was found,” Bara said.
The area has therefore been declared under control, allowing industrial activities to resume as normal.
Bara added that the Ministry of Health had screened 9,950 people, of whom 11 were found to have internal Cs-137 contamination. Those affected were treated with Prussian Blue, an antidote, and given health monitoring; their condition was reported to be good.
“No new cases have been found to date. The Government continues to strengthen facilities for screening and ongoing public health monitoring,” Bara said.
Although the emergency phase has ended, Bara said the Cs-137 Response Task Force would ensure that follow-up measures continue under the respective authorities of the agencies involved.
The Cs-137 contamination originated at a smelting facility owned by PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT).
The exposure source was scrap metal that contained radioactive material. During the smelting process, radioactive material vaporised and became airborne. The airflow then carried the radioactive particles to other locations within the industrial estate.