Govt urged to manage nuclear waste

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The government should monitor and control nuclear waste produced by local industries and research institutes because the public is unaware of the hazards, said Yusri Heni, head of the Nuclear Power Development Supervisory Agency (Bapeten).

In addition, she said the government should set standards for nuclear waste management and recycling in order to safeguard the public.

She cited an example where nuclear waste from steel producer PT Krakatau Steel was stolen by scavengers who did not realize that the substance could be a health hazard.

Currently there are 800 industrial operations and 60 research institutes that utilize nuclear materials. Yusri predicted that the use of nuclear energy would increase in the fields of radiography, mining, industry, agriculture, logging, and health. --Antara