Radioactive colonialism – Autralian company Lynas’ rare earths plant in Malaysia

This little news item from THE AUSTRALIA barely touches on the salient points about Australian company Lynas’ planned rare earths processing plant in Malaysia. It should not be forgotten that:

Lynas was well into building the plant before it obtained the necessary permissions from teh Malaysian government
The plant is in a highly populated area (unlike the rare earths plant in China, which radioactively polluted a huge area)
Lynas wanted to go ahead with no plan for the permanent disposal of its radioactive wastes
No doubt the waste disposal problem was Lynas’ reason for not planning the rarenearths processing plant in Australia. As with Australian uranium mining companies in Nigeria, Tanzania etc – another example of radioactive colonialism. – Christina Macpherson

Lynas licence decision date set for Malaysian plant, THE AUSTRALIAN, BY: ROSS KELLY January 05,“………Malaysian authorities have indicated the Atomic Energy Licensing Board will meet January 30 to decide whether Lynas should be granted a temporary operating license, Lynas said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange. The decision is then expected to be tabled to a full session of the Malaysian cabinet. …

Rare earths typically occur in deposits that contain uranium and thorium, meaning radioactive waste is present in tailings that require safe disposal. Activists and some politicians have actively campaigned against the Malaysian processing plant, prompting authorities to ask the International Atomic Energy Agency to review the $232 million
development that’s almost complete.

A report by the IAEA in June largely backed the plant, while recommending Lynas deliver a plan for dealing with its waste.

A temporary license will allow the company to ramp up production at the Malaysian facility to nameplate capacity and sell its products, Lynas said. If Lynas complies with the strict monitoring and government oversight requirements of the temporarily license, a permanent operating licence can be issued within two years. …
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/lynas-plant-license-decision-set/story-e6frg9df-1226237278015