Gemma Holliani Cahya and Rizki Fachriansyah
The Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) has continued efforts to decontaminate an area exposed to high levels of radiation from radioactive Caesium-137 waste in the Batan Indah housing complex in South Tangerang, Banten.
Agency spokesperson Abdul Qohhar Teguh said authorities had collected more samples of soil and vegetation from the exposed area and sent them to the National Nuclear Agency’s Center for Radioactive Waste Technology (PLTR-BATAN) for further examination.
“We’ve collected 223 drums of soil and vegetation [during] the decontamination efforts as of [Wednesday] afternoon — all of which have been sent to PLTR-BATAN,” Abdul said on Wednesday evening.
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The agency revealed on Sunday that it had found highly radioactive Caesium-137 materials as the source of radiation in the area. The cause of the incident remains unclear, however, authorities have said that the Caesium-137 did not come from a nuclear reactor leak but rather industrial sources.
The Center for Science and Technology Research (Puspitek) building, which is located about 5 kilometers away from the Batan Indah complex, houses several small reactors used for experimental purposes.
Abdul went on to say that a police investigation was under way to determine the party that had dumped radioactive waste in the area.
Read more at Nuclear agency collects more samples in probe into irradiated area in Banten housing complex
Related article: High Levels Of Radiation Found Inside Indonesia Housing Complex, Source A Mystery via International Business Times
