Outline wastes plan or ship them out, Lynas told

Lynas should ship its waste residues out of Malaysia if it is unable to produce a waste recycling research report or come up with the location for a permanent disposal facility (PDF), the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) has said.

This recommendation is based on the assurance by the company that it will transport the wastes out of the country if the need arises, the PSC said in its report tabled for first reading in Parliament yesterday but embargoed until 11.30am today.

“The committee notes that Lynas Corporation Ltd, Australia, and Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd both have, in a letter on Feb 23 and March 6 respectively, expressed their commitment to move the Lamp residues out of Malaysia."

The Feb 23 letter by Lynas Corporation Ltd executive chairperson Nicholas Curtis, attached in the report, was addressed to Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan.

“Lynas Corporation Australia hereby gives a full undertaking to, if necessary, remove from Malaysia all wastes generated by Lamp in Gebeng, Kuantan, during the Temporary Operating Licence (TOL) period,” the letter says.

The proposal is one of 31 recommendations outlined in the report after the PSC, formed on March 20, completed its work following public hearings in Kuantan and in Kuala Lumpur.

The plan and site for the PDF, the PSC said, must be presented within 10 months of the TOL being issued and the same would apply to  the outcome of its research on waste recycling and minimisation, on top of how it intended to use and commercialise residues from Lamp.

This recommendation is similar to a statement by Raja Abdul Aziz in February that Lynas’ TOL would be suspended if it is unable to provide the location and plan for its PDF within 10 months of the TOL issuance.

Health Ministry prodded to do more

The PSC report also appeared to acknowledge criticism of the regulators for taking “too scientific” an approach, with the focus on radiation and neglecting the health aspects of the project.

In its recommendation, the panel prodded the Health Ministry to take a greater role in the project, asking that it conducts a baseline health research to determine the present levels of diseases, such as cancer and leukaemia, and for the information to be made public.

“The committee also recommends that the Health Ministry, in cooperation with AELB, conducts further research on cancer and leukaemia cases in Bukit Merah(left),” the report stated, noting claims that the Asian Rare Earth plant in the Perak town has been accused of causing an increase in such diseases, even though there is a lack of evidence.

The PSC also called on the ministry to conduct a series of cohort researches into relevant diseases around Kuantan as a means of continuous observation.

Furthermore, it recommended that a Health Impact Assessment study be conducted with Lamp’s Radiology Impact Assessment study at a future stage.                                           

Other notable recommendations of the PSC are:

• Legislation on the transport of radioactive materials, based on international standards, is needed at the appropriate time;

• Data from monitoring by the Department of Environment (DOE) and Lynas to be published online every three months;

• Environmental audit to be done by a third party registered with DOE every six months to ensure compliance by Lamp;

• One percent of Lamp’s gross sales be allocated for research and development (R&D) - half should go to R&D activities overseen by a committee and the other half to R&D on residue management managed by AELB;

• Lamp should prepare access to information on observational and monitoring data online for the public, professional bodies, residents' associations or relevant stakeholders and NGOs; Lamp should also display air and water quality readings in front of its premises; and

• The International Trade and Industry Ministry and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority should consider public engagement as prerequisite for companies with radioactive materials projects, subject to radiological impact assessments from AELB, at an early stage.