Environmentalists demand explanation for reversal of Lynas terms

Environmental groups are calling on the government to explain its decision to allow Lynas to keep its cracking and leaching facility in Gebeng, Kuantan.

The decision, announced yesterday, hinged on a Lynas proposal to extract radioactive thorium from the residue of its Water Leach Purification (WLP) process to the point where the remaining residue is no longer radioactive enough to be regulated as radioactive waste.

Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) chairperson Tan Bun Teet told Malaysiakini there are still many unresolved issues about the technology, including whether it could cope with the scale of Lynas’ operations.

“Even if the new technology can extract thorium, (it was) done in a laboratory. Does he (Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang) know how much radioactive WLP residue Lynas produces in a year? It’s probably 76,000 tonnes.

“How does he handle such a huge amount of waste and extract thorium from them? This is a question that hasn’t been answered reasonably so far,” Tan said when contacted.

Yesterday, Chang told a press conference that Lynas approached the government with a proposal to extract thorium from the WLP residue, and the government confirmed the feasibility of the technology through several months of research.

Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang

Tan questioned if the government only listened to Lynas’ side of the proposal or if a team was set up to make a comprehensive assessment of the proposal.

“These questions have not been resolved, nor have they been explained in detail.”

Similarly, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) honorary secretary Mageswari Sangaralingam said she was baffled by the government’s decision and urged for greater transparency.

She said the decision appeared to be based on findings of a laboratory-level preliminary study showing thorium could be extracted from the WLP residue, and urged for the study to be made public.

Come clean on research

“A reversal of the government decision based on this preliminary study does not at all sound convincing or assuring from a public health and environmental standpoint.

“The government needs to be more accountable and transparent in this regard and the ministry needs to come clean as to the details of the research.

“It is clear from the government’s orientation of making money from the rare earth industry but this cannot be at the expense of people’s health and the environment,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tan questioned the timing of a press conference organised by the Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry on Saturday - where Universiti Teknologi Malaysia professor Nahrul Khair Alang Md Rashid spoke on using sulphuric acid to extract thorium.

Nahrul said local institutions have been studying thorium extraction from materials analogous to WLP residue since 2014.

“What we need to ask is why they only mentioned it (the research) 10 years later. And why is it being announced at this critical time?” Tan queried.

He added that the sudden decision to withdraw conditions imposed on Lynas would make it difficult to convince the public.

“Before the government took office, politicians including the prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim) promised that if they were in power, they would terminate Lynas’ operation.

“So why can’t they even impose the conditions (to remove the cracking and leaching facilities)?

“Where is the government’s credibility? Where is the credibility of these politicians?

“For these politicians and parties that break their promises, I believe the people’s eyes are sharp, and I believe that the people will ‘repay’ them shortly.” - Mkini