Lynas: What EPA directive?

In a rebuttal, the mining giant said it never received a directive from EPA to halt its rare earth exports to Malaysia and the only correspondence it had was with a lawyer from ANAWA.

PETALING JAYA: Lynas Corporation Limited denied that it had ignored a directive from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt its plans to export of rare earth concentrates, pending a decision on its approval permits.

In a statement today, Lynas’ general counsel Andrew Arnold said that the mining giant had never received such a directive from the EPA in the first place.

Yesterday, Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia (ANAWA) spokesperson Marcus Atkinson alleged that Lynas had ignored EPA’s directive saying that it had obtained the necessary approvals to export its rare earth minerals to Malaysia.

Atkinson also said that the EPA had issued the directive after ANAWA lodged a report with the EPA regarding Lynas’ operations at Mount Weld and its mining of rare earth.

He added that the Lynas’ levels of radioactivity fell below the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) standards for its transportation to be classified under the regulations for safe transportation of radioactive material.

In his rebuttal, Arnold said that the only correspondence Lynas received on the matter was from Josie Walker, a lawyer acting for ANAWA.

“And Walker does not, and has never purpoted to represent EPA. There was no directive from the EPA to stop the export of rare earth concentrate,” he added.

In February, thousands gathered at various parts of Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and Penang to demonstrate against Lynas shipping its rare earth concentrates to Gebeng, Pahang.

Among those who participated in the rally were Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefy Ahmad.