US returns radiation-contaminated footwear to Indonesia

Two containers of footwear suspected of being contaminated with radioactive cesium-137 were recently returned by the US.

The US has flagged Indonesian exports of footwear for cesium-137 contamination, adding another product showing signs of radiation to a list that already includes shrimp and cloves.

A warning sticker labelled Danger Radiation with a handwritten note showing 11.5 microsieverts per hour is seen after US authorities recalled potentially contaminated frozen shrimp. (AFP)

Authorities in Jakarta said Wednesday that two containers of footwear suspected of being contaminated with radioactive cesium-137 were recently returned by the US.

The footwear comes from a company located near the site of a radiation leak in western Java, an official with the government task force investigation the radiation findings told reporters.

Authorities have been working to clean up an industrial park where they say a small steel company appears to have smelted scrap metal mixed with cesium, contaminating various nearby factories.

The US previously flagged Indonesian exports of shrimp sent from a company within the industrial park.