Bentong MP Wong Tack has reminded Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin about his comment to Parliament on Lynas' operating licence if the rare earth firm failed to begin constructing a permanent waste disposal facility (PDF) by the stipulated deadline.
Wong Tack (above) said the deadline was March 31 but the Department of Environment (DOE) had yesterday rejected Lynas' proposal to build the PDF in Bukit Ketam, Kuantan, a water catchment area.
"The rejection of Lynas’ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the proposal to build their Permanent Disposal Facility (PDF) in Bukit Ketam confirms that Lynas has failed to comply with this condition," said the DAP lawmaker.
Therefore, he urged Khairy to revoke Lynas' licence.
Khairy, in a statement to Parliament on July 16 last year, had said Lynas' licence could be revoked if it failed to meet the March 31 deadline to build the PDF which is intended to store its radioactive waste which has accumulated at its factory in Gebeng, Kuantan.
According to the Dewan Rakyat Hansard, Khairy said: "This licence was approved by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board in March 2020. Now we are in the process of conducting all the EIA (environmental impact assessment), RIA (radiological impact assessment) and others.
"If Lynas cannot begin constructing the PDF within a year from when its licence was extended, which will be March 2021, then YB Bakri, the licence can be revoked".
Khairy was responding to a follow-up question from former energy, science, technology, environment, and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin. - Mkini
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