The anti-Lynas movement is forming a legal team to challenge the setting up of a permanent disposal facility (PDF) to house the radioactive waste generated at Lynas' rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.
The construction of the PDF is a key requirement for Lynas to keep its operations licence for the Gebeng factory.
DAP's Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu (above) said a team of 10, comprising prominent lawyers, has been formed to scrutinise Lynas' every step in the setting up of the PDF.
"The soil, water and other relevant tests are being done. So pending that, we will go after Lynas," he told Malaysiakini.
Liu said the team which was finalised last Friday will include legal eagles from the civil society but declined to name them.
Like the Lynas' Gebeng factory, he said the PDF will also raise its own concerns, including from the local community.
"I don't think the locals will agree," Liu added.
The exact site for the PDF has not been determined but reports said five locations in Pahang have been shortlisted, namely Lepar, Luit, Padang Tengku, Bukit Ibam and Chini.
"The only suitable place to build the PDF is in a desert... It's near impossible," he said, expressing concern about possible groundwater contamination.
Liu also expressed scepticism at Lynas' ability to shift its cracking and leaching operations, the phase that creates the radioactive waste, back to Australia.
He questioned whether Lynas can get regulatory approval from Australia.
Lynas mines its rare earth ore from Mount Weld in Western Australia before shipping them to Malaysia for processing.
However, Lynas has agreed to pre-process the ore in Australia as part of its licence condition after Putrajaya said it won't allow unlimited accumulation of waste in Malaysia.
The government on Aug 15 announced the extension to Lynas' licence, but set a condition for the company to come up with a construction and financing plan for a PDF to store its radioactive waste.
"The construction of the PDF must be expedited to minimise the risk from the water leach purification (WLP) stockpile that is now at more than 580,000 tonnes at the temporary residue storage facility, which is exposed to major floods," said the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).
AELB also required Lynas to shift its "cracking and leaching" phase of operations, which produces the radioactive waste, to overseas within four years.
It also asked Lynas to terminate its efforts to commercialise the waste by diluting and turning it into fertiliser and instructed for funds for this research to be channelled to the government as collateral.
The more stringent conditions have not soothed anger as Harapan leaders had in the past promised to shut down the Lynas plant. - Mkini
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