Terms show gov’t cares more about Lynas than rakyat - activist

An activist has claimed that the recent conditions imposed on Lynas show that the government cares more about the mining company’s commercial interests than the health of Malaysians.

Tan Boon Teet also characterised the six-month extension for the company’s rare earth processing facility as an interim measure to ensure Lynas’ business remained intact.

“The extension is an interim measure by the government to ensure that Lynas would not collapse immediately.

“If the government had said no to a renewal or an extension, Lynas would have died of immediate shock and its shareholders would have quickly jumped.

“[...] This is (also) to appease the fury and anger of the people,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

The license for Lynas’ Gebeng, Kuantan plant was supposed to expire in September this year.

One of the conditions imposed on Lynas yesterday was for it to halt all research and development (R&D) activities into repurposing the radioactive Water Leach Purification (WLP) residue into a soil conditioner called “Condisoil”.

The company will also need to hand over 0.5 percent of its gross sales revenue, previously channelled to the R&D work, to the Malaysian government as “collateral” until its overseas cracking and leaching (C&L) facility is built and operational.

Lynas has since responded to the government’s conditions, saying that it is confident in being able to fulfil them.

Money should help M’sian workers

Rather than collateral, however, Tan opined that the money ought to go to an “emergency medical fund” for Lynas staff.

“The government should set aside the money for a fund to help the workers [...] all these workers who handle radioactive waste and material, you don’t know when it is going to show up in their health.

“If Lynas need to set up a C&L facility, it should be entirely up to them to ensure they have enough money to do.

“[...] The government now looks like they are more focused on taking care of Lynas’ interests rather than Malaysians who are working there,” he said.

“This is completely shows that the government lacks heart for the people,” Tan added.

One million tonnes of radioactive waste

Putrajaya also wants the Australian company to submit its plan for building its overseas C&L facility, adding that it must be completed within four years.

Following which, Lynas will no longer be allowed to produce radioactive waste beyond one Becquerel/gram in its Gebeng plant.

Tan said this term had many “loopholes” and would still lead to a stockpiling of radioactive Water Leach Purification (WLP) waste.

He estimated that the company will generate 400,000 tonnes of WLP in the next four years, on top of the existing 580,000 tonnes it had already produced since operations began in 2013.

“Does the government realise that in four years, the total volume of radioactive waste will come up to one million tonnes?

“[...] Will the government ask Lynas where they plan to build the C&L facility and whether it has the finances to do it? It is totally up to Lynas how they want to do it in four years. There is no mention of a timetable.

“And does the government plan to put in place a way to check if Lynas implements this plan accordingly?” Tan asked.

What if no one accepts Lynas?

Another condition was that Lynas needed to determine a local site for its permanent disposal facility (PDF) and produce written permission from the state government governing the site.

It will also need to show detailed building and financial plans for building and operating the facility.

Should it fail to find a local site, Lynas will need to produce official permission for it to transport WLP waste overseas.

While Tan agreed with the need for detailed plans, he noted that this was one of the original, and unfulfilled, conditions imposed on Lynas when it first ventured into Malaysia.

“This is a repeat of what Lynas was required to do seven years ago when it got its operating license.

“They were supposed to produce a plan for building a PDF within 10 months of their operations.

“Is the government serious enough this time to ensure that Lynas builds the PDF?” he asked.

Tan further wondered what would happen if no local state and no country outside Malaysia allowed Lynas to build its PDF there.

Even if a foreign country allowed Lynas to establish a PDF, he suggested that the company be required to produce a detailed plan and timeline for moving its WLP waste overseas.

The activist maintained that this Sunday’s anti-Lynas protest in Kuantan would proceed as planned. - Mkini