Public committee backs Lynas’ TOL

A public consultative committee assures that the AELB hadn't blindly approved Lynas' TOL.

DENGKIL: The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) today brought in a member of the Public Consultative Committee (JKPA) at its third weekly briefing to offer further assurance that it did not blindly approve a Temporary Operating Licence (TOL) to Lynas Corporation Ltd.

The JKPA is a 12-member committee comprising sociologists, economists, anthropologists, lawyers and academics and was tasked with analysing all feedback compiled during the public viewing of Lynas’s application permit between Jan 3-26.

In presenting the committee’s findings, Prof Abu Hassan Abdullah of the Centre for Future Studies in Universiti Malaya (UM) said that a majority of comments called for Lynas to disclose the location of its Permanent Disposal Facility (PDF) before the TOL is issued.

This was closely followed by concerns over the radioactive waste disposal in Pahang. Only three of the 1,123 comments raised questions over the safety, health and environmental repercussions.

“Only 2% of those who viewed the documents rejected the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) outright without substantial reasons,” said Abu Hassan, who is also the founder of Zentrum Future Studies Malaysia and a member of the World Future Crisis Studies Federation.

“Their rejections were based on political rhetoric and we therefore recommended that the AELB review its comments to find out where the misinformation took place.”

According to Abu Hassan, the committee held a week-long discussion with the AELB over its analysis and recommendations. He added that they had also grilled the AELB over minute details regarding the LAMP’s operations.

“We pushed the AELB to explain everything to us right down to the smallest issues of environment and health,” he stated. “I even asked if we need to discuss an evacuation plan in the event of a future crisis but the committee disagreed as the LAMP isn’t a nuclear plant.”

“Each committee member brought to the table a list of benefits and pitfalls of the LAMP and we discussed each one throughly. Then we met with the AELB to discuss the TOL.”

AELB director-general, Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan, then pointed out that the five conditions attached to the TOL were a result of the committee’s recommendations.

“The committee’s recommendations are reflected 100% in AELB’s decision to approve the TOL, as is the public feedback from the viewing sessions,” he said.

Discrepancy in numbers
Raja Aziz however pointed out that the committee’s findings showed a discrepancy in numbers between the viewers and submitted feedback during the final week of viewing.

The committee found that while only 60 people had viewed the documents in the week beginning Jan 19, the number of comments totalled 986.

“A big component of people didn’t actually read those documents but gave their comments neverthless,” Raja Aziz noted. “So the question that needs asking is were those comments based on facts or emotional or political in nature.”

The JKPA also found that of the approximately 330 viewers, 76% were Chinese, 22% Malays and 2 % Indians.

Most of them were also from the older generation with 58% above the age of 40 and only 21% below the age of 21.

The largest group of attendees were NGOs at 63% followed by PKR members, MCA members and journalists at 11%, 8% and 7% respectively.