Indonesia Shuts Down Two Factories in Serang Over Severe Air Pollution

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has sealed two factories, PT Jaya Abadi Steel and PT Luckione Environment Science Indonesia, both located in Serang, Banten, following allegations of contributing to air pollution in the Greater Jakarta area. Operations at both companies were halted as of Tuesday night, June 10, 2025.

Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofi said that the sanctions are part of a broader effort to establish an integrated monitoring roadmap that will encompass industrial areas in Bekasi, Karawang, Tangerang, and other parts of Java. "So we will not stop at these two companies," he affirmed in a statement shared on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

Hanif revealed that he and his team conducted a surprise inspection on Tuesday night before proceeding with the sealing. According to him, inspecting outside of regular working hours demonstrates the country's commitment to enforcing environmental law fairly and comprehensively.

The sealing operation included the collection of air and waste samples for environmental forensic analysis. In addition to emission violations, investigators also discovered the illegal dumping of Hazardous and Toxic Substances or B3 waste.

"We need a fair and robust environmental monitoring ecosystem, while industries must transform to low-emission technology," Hanif Faisol emphasized.

PT Jaya Abadi Steel, formerly known as Shiva Shakti Steel, operates an iron smelting business with an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons, utilizing an Induction Furnace. The KLH team observed dense emissions being released in substantial volumes, notably without adequate management or treatment from the factory, which is situated in Beberan Village, Ciruas.

Meanwhile, PT Luckione Environment Science Indonesia, a metal smelting industry, is situated within the Modern Industrial Area of Cikande. This particular factory had previously been recommended for legal proceedings in 2023, though unfortunately, these recommendations were not pursued. More recently, on June 4, 2025, a drone operated by KLH captured visual evidence of significant emissions emanating from its chimney, strongly suspected of exceeding established air quality standards.

Rizal Irawan, Deputy for Law Enforcement at KLH, asserted that the environmental criminal elements within this case are exceptionally strong, and the violations uncovered are deemed profoundly serious. He unequivocally affirmed the ministry's firm resolve, stating, "KLH is committed to continuing decisive action against industries that pose a threat to public health and the environment."

As reported by Antara, PT Luckione is implicated in contributing to dangerous airborne pollutants, including Airborne Emission Particulates (AEP), which are known to exacerbate air quality degradation in the Greater Jakarta area. The specific particulates identified in this context are zinc oxide.

Concurrently, at the PT Jaya Abadi facility, investigations revealed indications of similar air pollution, compounded by soil contamination resulting from the improper disposal of steel slag waste. The decision to conduct the inspection during night hours was strategic, as, according to the minister's observations, many industries intensively conduct such operations outside of daytime hours specifically to evade regulatory monitoring.

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