Indonesia Halts Scrap Metal Imports Amid Radioactive Contamination Fears
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has announced new, stringent regulations for companies importing scrap iron and steel in an effort to prevent radioactive contamination. The announcement, reported by ANTARA News Agency, follows recent findings of Cesium-137 contamination linked to scrap metal imports.
Speaking after a river cleanup activity in Jakarta on Friday, Minister Hanif said that the government has officially requested all relevant ministries and agencies to temporarily suspend the import of scrap metals until industries fully comply with new radiation safety standards.
“We will issue import recommendations only if companies have installed Radiation Portal Monitoring and Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS). Once these systems are in place, we will consider approving scrap metal imports,” he stated.
In addition to these measures, importers must also install air quality monitoring systems and radiological data monitoring systems to ensure comprehensive environmental surveillance both at industrial sites and in surrounding areas.
The stricter controls come after cesium-137 contamination was detected in frozen shrimp exported by PT BMS to the United States. Investigations suggest the radioactive exposure may have originated from PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), located in the Cikande Industrial Area, Serang District, Banten, close to PT BMS’s processing facility.
PT PMT reportedly processes scrap iron using induction methods, which may have caused radiation from contaminated metal to adhere to nearby facilities, leading to cross-contamination of food products. As a result, the Cikande Industrial Area has now been declared a special incident site for Cesium-137 radionuclide radiation.
In a related case, authorities also discovered Cesium-137 contamination in nine containers of scrap iron at Tanjung Priok Port last September. The Ministry of Industry later revealed that the importing company lacked proper authorization, though it remains unclear whether the violation concerned the firm’s business license or import permit.
The Environment Ministry said that import approvals will remain suspended until full compliance and radiation safety assurance are achieved by all companies involved in the scrap metal industry.