Radioactive Material Cleanup Update: Cikande Industrial Area

Current Status of Contaminated Material

The Indonesian government has revealed that 1,136 tons of radioactive Cesium-137 contaminated material are still being stored in an interim storage facility at PT PMT within the Cikande Industrial Area in Banten ¹

. Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq provided this update during a working meeting with Commission XII of the DPR RI on December 3, 2025.

Decontamination Progress

The Ministry has made significant progress in decontaminating the affected areas, having successfully cleaned 12 out of 13 contaminated sites. However, the remaining site poses a significant challenge as the radioactive material is believed to be located underneath building foundations, complicating the decontamination process.

Storage and Safety Measures

The contaminated material is currently stored in a specially designated interim storage facility at PT PMT. The decision to store the material at this location was based on the understanding that the radioactive contamination originated from activities associated with the company.

Environmental Implications

The presence of such a large quantity of radioactive material poses potential environmental and health risks if not managed properly. The government's ongoing efforts to resolve this issue are critical to preventing any adverse impacts on the surrounding environment and communities.

Next Steps

The Ministry plans to continue working on the remaining contaminated site, developing appropriate strategies to address the complexities involved in removing material from under the building foundations. This situation highlights the need for careful planning and specialized techniques in handling radioactive contamination.