Indonesia halts scrap metal imports after shrimp radiation scare
The halt follows US findings of caesium-137 in shrimp, traced to a metal-processing hub in West Java that supplies construction materials
The suspension is effective immediately, Bara Krishna Hasibuan, an official with the government task force investigating the radiation findings, said in a text message on Thursday.
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said the pause aims to ensure that the local steel-recycling industry meets radiation safety standards, with companies required to install radiation monitoring and emission control systems, state news agency Antara reported.
The probe was initiated after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August reported the detection of trace amounts of the radioactive material in frozen shrimp shipments from one of Indonesia’s largest prawn companies, leading to recalls by companies such as Walmart.
The shrimp company, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, has facilities near the contaminated sites of the industrial estate.
The government task force said on Wednesday that authorities had identified radiation at 22 production facilities in the industrial zone, with one since decontaminated and the remainder undergoing clean-up.