Still no plan for radioactive waste disposal, but Australian company Lynas gets temporary license

Lynas’s plant is near Kuantan, the capital city of the central Pahang state. Protests by residents and non-governmental organizations over the past 10 months included a march on Malaysia’s parliament and the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur….

China has been limiting rare-earth output and exports since 2009 on concerns mining activities caused pollution

Lynas Granted Temporary Rare-Earth Refining License From Malaysian Board, Bloomberg, By Manirajan Ramasamy – Feb 1, 2012 Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board granted Lynas Corp. (LYC) a temporary operating license to begin refining rare earths under certain conditions following public protests.

The Sydney-based miner will be able to start refining under conditions that include a plan for a permanent disposal facility and paying the government a $50 million security bond in installments, the board said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.
Lynas’s plant would be the world’s largest refinery of the minerals with total capacity of 22,000 tons per year should a second phase be approved and completed, the company said on Nov. 16.

Its plan to start production in September was delayed after the government imposed extra safety standards recommended by an international review panel after residents expressed fears over possible radiation and contamination.
The Australian company, which has rejected the health concerns, has been unable to start exporting ore to Malaysia for refining after opening its A$100 million ($107 million) Mount Weld mine in Western Australia in August.
Lynas’s plant is near Kuantan, the capital city of the central Pahang
state. Protests by residents and non-governmental organizations over
the past 10 months included a march on Malaysia’s parliament and the
Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur….
Rare earths, 17 chemically similar elements, are used in Apple Inc.’s
iPod music players, flat-screen televisions, magnets and hybrid
cars…..
China has been limiting rare-earth output and exports since 2009 on
concerns mining activities caused pollution and depletion in natural
resources. This tightened global supplies, prompting key users such as
Japan to seek alternative sources….
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-01/lynas-granted-temporary-rare-earth-refining-license-from-malaysian-board.html