PARLIAMENT | Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has challenged Science Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Deputy Minister Ahmad Amzad Hashim on whether the government is serious about ending Lynas’ licence should the company fail to meet the conditions of its licence.
The PKR MP asked this in the Dewan Rakyat today after the deputy minister denied that the group’s operating licence had been extended to March 2022.
Ahmad Amzah claimed that the duration of the licence spans from March 3, 2020, to March 2, 2022.
Citing a 14 Jan statement made by former Mosti minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Fuziah (above) challenged Ahmad on the matter.
“When Lynas was first given the terms to their operation, they were given the condition that they can recycle their water leach purification (WLP) residue, solid wastes or their radioactive waste.
“Failing which, they needed to create a permanent disposal facility (PDF), (and) failing which, they need to send the accumulated waste of 850 thousand metric tonnes back to Australia.
“I want to ask the government today: Is the government serious about terminating the licence if Lynas fails to meet these conditions?" she asked.
Permission to build a permanent disposal facility extended
Fuziah added: “Lynas has failed - it turned out to be a failure. Yet, the government extended its licence, even though it was said that if it is not done before Sept 2, the licence will expire.
“I want to know if the government is serious in allowing it to continue to operate and if it is serious in sending its waste back to Australia if it fails to build a PDF.”
Last week, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Adham Baba revealed in the Dewan Rakyat that Lynas Rare Earths had been granted an extension to build a permanent disposal facility (PDF).
The deadline was set to expire on Sept 3 this year, but the mining firm now has until March 2022 to build the facility.
Lynas initially planned to build a PDF in Bukit Ketam - a forest reserve about 35km from Kuantan, Pahang. This was rejected by the Department of Environment (DOE) in April.
Lynas then shifted its focus to a new site located in the Gebeng Industrial Estate, which sits next to the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP).
In response to the Kuantan MP’s enquiry on Lynas, Ahmad Amzad claimed that on Aug 20, the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) had agreed to suspend the construction of the PDF to March 2, 2022.
He said that its approval took into account a number of considerations such as the location of the site, new technical and legal studies that need to be conducted on the proposed new site and lockdown restrictions.
The Mosti deputy minister gave his assurance that although the construction date of the permanent disposal facility had been extended, Lynas was still subject to the same conditions that were previously set.
“The licensee must ensure that the cracking and leaching plant abroad operates before July 2023.
"After that period, the licensee will no longer be allowed to import raw materials containing natural radioactive material (and) naturally occurring radioactive material to Malaysia.
“Licensees are also allowed to produce WLP residues at LAMP after the transfer of the cracking and leaching process abroad,” Ahmad Amzad added. - Mkini
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