Australian rare earths company Lynas held back by public opposition in Malaysia
the expanding protest movement …… has already delayed the project by eight months and cast a shadow over its future.
The resistance – fed by social networks and Malaysia’s increasingly lively independent online media – also raises broader questions over the global expansion of an industry that has created huge environmental problems in China
Opponents say the Lynas plant doesn’t meet with best practice standards for the industry as it is too close to heavily populated areas and in a place where the ground water level is high. Molycorp’s plant in California, by comparison, is situated far from residential areas in an arid climate.
Citizen backlash keeps Malaysia rare earth plant on hold, The West, Siva Sithraputhran, Reuters May 9, 2012 GEBENG, Malaysia – The expensive machinery lies silent, idling as Malaysia’s government weighs a delicate decision to allow shipments of raw material to arrive from Australia and finally start operations at the world’s largest rare earths plant outside China. Continue reading
Financial analysts recognise the risks of radioactive by-products of rare earths processing
Uranium and thorium present real risk to rare earths developers – Dennis Mineweb 2 May Interview with Carolyn Dennis of Dundee Capital Markets “….. TCMR: Some rare earth deposits include uranium and thorium byproducts and, if a company is not recovering those, it needs to dispose of them. Is that a challenge most REE miners face?
CD: It’s a real risk across the board for rare earth companies. Each deposit, depending on the type of mineralogy, will have varying grades of uranium and thorium. The jurisdiction the deposit is in and how it approaches dealing with the uranium, thorium and radioactivity will dictate how much of an issue it is for the project. It can be a problem in processing as well. In a lot of cases, the thorium should be removed from the concentrate earlier in the process in order to improve processing downstream. Beyond that, radioactive waste material needs to be disposed of….”
Australian company Lynas suing Malaysian news portal for defamation
Local regulators Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) had said in January it would approve a TOL subject to added conditions including identifying a suitable long-term waste disposal site.
Lynas had said last month that identifying this site “is a work in progress.” It also said prior to AELB’s decision that a permanent depository facility (PDF) will only be needed in a “worst-case scenario” where it is unable to reprocess the waste into a commercial product.
Lynas sues news portal, protest groups for defamation, The Malaysian Insider, By Anisah Shukry April 20, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, — Lynas Corp has filed a defamation suit against online news portal Free Malaysia Today for “false and misleading statements” in a recently published article.
The Australian mining group is also suing Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas’s (SMSL) directors and committee members over an open letter published on the group’s web site…..
Lynas has faced fierce protests from Kuantan residents and opposition politicians who say that the RM2.5 billion rare-earth refinery in nearby Gebeng will cause radiation pollution Continue reading
Australian company Lynas has ‘no concrete radioactive waste management plan’
Unlike the Lynas plant, the other three refineries’ radioactive wastes are sent back to the respective mines.
“Lynas has no concrete radioactive waste management plan. Lynas claims it can store its waste onsite forever.
The Lynas plant, she added, would have 500 tonnes of liquid discharge per hour channelled into the Balok River.
Lynas whitewashing refinery safety concerns, says Fuziah, The Malaysian Insider, By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal April 16, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, — PKR’s Fuziah Salleh has accused Lynas Corp of whitewashing safety concerns of its planned refinery in Kuantan by claiming there is a “concerted political campaign” against the plant’s construction,
In response, Fuziah accused the Lynas Corp head of “deviating” from the real issue of safety, saying that a simple
comparative study showed the Lynas refinery did not support any form of “sustainable development.”
“They are not addressing concerns of safety, whitewashing safety concerns, silent about safety issues. “They have only addressed radiation aspects, external radiation… they are narrow-minded in terms of perspective of radiation,” the PKR
vice-president told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading
Comparing conditions for Lynas’ radioactive waste: Australia or Malaysia
Let’s de-politicise the Lynas issue — Stop Lynas Coalition, The Malaysian Insider March 21, 2012 “…….Lynas loves to boast that their project is approved in Australia also. Given Australia’s high environmental standard, if it is approved in Australia, why would Malaysians reject it? However, Lynas hid from the public that the Australian proposal was approved under extremely stringent conditions.
The table shows the conditions under the Australian proposal [6] compared to LAMP.
Regardless of what justification the government gives, any person of general intellect can deduce that LAMP is shifted to our shores because Lynas wants to dump its waste here. How can our government inflict such indignity on the very people it is elected to protect?…
[6] “Proposed rare earths mining and beneficiation at Mt Weld, Laverton and secondary processing at Meenaar, near Northm”, Ashton Rare Earths Ltd, August 1992. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/lets-de-politicise-the-lynas-issue-stop-lynas-coalition
Is rare earths company Lynas planning to return radioactive wastes to Australia?
“Where exactly is ‘abroad’? Identify and prove to us which country outside of Malaysia is willing to accept this massive [volume of] toxic waste.
AELB says will close Lynas plant if waste agreement broken http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/aelb-says-will-close-lynas-plant-if-waste-agreement-broken The Malaysian Insider, March 15, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) assured Malaysians today it will shutter Lynas Corporation’s rare earth plant in Kuantan if the Australian mining firm violates conditions on the disposal of radioactive material.
According to Star Online, the regulator reminded at its weekly media briefing today that that firm had already struck an agreement with local authorities here for it to return any radioactive waste to Australia if it fails to set up a permanent disposal facility here. Continue reading
Lynas moved its rare earths processing to Malaysia because of Malaysia’s less stringent laws
ANAWA and EDO strongly believed that Lynas had chosen to move its operations to Malaysia because of the heavy metals and radioactive waste involved in the processing. “We believe Lynas picked Malaysia to save money and enable it to operate under less stringent laws,”
“The biggest concerns about the processing are the storage and waste management issues which are made more difficult in Gebeng which we understand to be wetlands.”
“There is no way it could operate the way it is in Malaysia over here,” he said. “Australia’s laws are much more stringent.”
Aussie NGO: Gebeng not part of Lynas’ blueprint, Free Malaysia Today News, Stephanie Sta Maria | March 6, 2012 Anti Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia (ANAWA) claims that Lynas’ massive changes to its plan has resulted in its plant being built in Gebeng where laws are looser and labour is cheaper. PETALING JAYA: The Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia (ANAWA) has revealed that Lynas Corporation Ltd was supposed to build its plant in Western Australia and not Malaysia.
According to ANAWA, Lynas’ 14-year-old blueprint indicated that the Australian mining giant had orginally planned to build its processing plant in Meenar a decade ago. But until today there had been no signs of any development on the intended site.
ANAWA spokesperson Marcus Atkinson told FMT that the orginal approvals were given by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for Lynas to ship rare earth to buyers and confirmed that he had viewed these relevant documents firsthand.
However, he said that Lynas had since made numerous alterations to its operations to the point that its rare earth refinery had now landed in Malaysia. “Instead of transporting processed rare earth, it is now shipping a concentrate which contains thorium and other radioactive material with more heavy metals,” he told FMT. Continue reading
Malaysia considering sending Lynas’ radioactive waste back to Western Australia
No decision yet on sending Lynas waste to Western Australia The Star, Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR, 7 March 12, : The Cabinet has not decided on a proposal asking Lynas Corp rare earth waste material to be sent back to Western Australia, said Green Technology, Energy and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin.
He said Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum Norman Moore was entitled to his view that Australia would not accept responsibility for any waste produced by Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd. “Our Cabinet has not made a decision on the matter. Wait for it to be announced,” he said after the launch of the National Energy Security Conference 2012 yesterday.
Moore told the Australian parliament that the Western Australian government does not support the import and storage of other countries’ radioactive waste.
PKR MP Fuziah Salleh had proposed that the rare earth waste material for Lynas be returned to Australia. ….
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/29/nation/10825847&sec=nation
Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia appealing to EPA about Lynas rare earths and radiation
ANAWA is currently working with the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) to lodge a referral to the EPA regarding the Lynas operations at Mt Weld and their mining of rare earths. Lynas has made a number of changes to their procedures, which have not gone through the appropriate approvals and they are currently operating under approvals given to them 14 years ago.
There are major concerns about the amounts of this radioactive substance being transported from Mt Weld to the ports of Fremantle and health & safety issues for those involved in handling the material that will be exported to their controversial processing plant in Malaysia. ANAWA will be going to the EPA with the EDO lawyer Josie Walker on Tuesday the 28th of February at 10.30 am.
‘Shonky fast-tracked approval’ for Australian company’s rare earths plant in Malaysia
Ire over Lynas ‘sham’ plant consultation, SMH, Vince Chadwick February 13, 2012 Groups opposed to a rare-earths refinement plant in Malaysia plan to appeal against the atomic regulator’s decision to grant Australian miner Lynas a temporary operating licence…
.. Ms Tansaid two separate appeals would be launched this week, one by locals in Kuantan and another in Kuala Lumpur. She said objections would centre on the ”shonky, fast-tracked approval process” in which the licensing board temporarily approved the plant less than a week after public consultations closed.
The president of the Malaysian Bar association, Lim Chee Wee, said last week, ”it beggars belief that [the licensing board] could have adequately and properly considered the 1123 public comments within merely two working days.
”The only natural conclusion is that the whole public consultation process is a sham and charade, ” he said…..
Lynas expects to begin refining rare earths shipped from its $100 million mine in Mount Weld, Western Australia, by the second quarter of this year. It hopes to recycle some waste to make building materials or fertiliser. In the case of iron phosphate gypsum, for which there are no commercial applications, the company said it can store waste safely
for up to 17 years.
Mr Lim said ”the granting of a 10-month period for Lynas to provide the plan and location of the [permanent disposal facility] borders on recklessness: by then, even if the terms of the licence remain unfulfilled and the licence is suspended or cancelled, substantial amounts of radioactive wastes would have been produced”…..
Ms Tan said the ecologically sensitive area near mangroves meant toxic runoff into the South China Sea could affect local fisherman. http://www.smh.com.au/business/ire-over-lynas-sham-plant-consultation-20120212-1sznp.html#ixzz1mIqXT47j
Lynas rare earths plant suits Malaysia’s politicians, not Malaysia’s people
Lynas plant a done deal from the start , malaysiakini, Feb 7, 2012 “……Manjit Bhatia: These protests against Lynas are very worthwhile. The Lynas project should never have been given the green light in the first place, let alone a temporary licence by the Umno-BN regime.
What’s really galling is that the regime went ahead with the latter despite Lynas failing to provide all of the mandatory guarantees needed. Worse, though: were there any public consultations about the project to start with? I feel the protests at Lynas aren’t big enough to put sufficient political pressure on the company to reconsider its operations…..
If the bulk of Malaysians do not join their Lynas protestors and stop the project dead in its tracks and soon, then you’ve lost the chance forever – unless Pakatan Rakyat wins government and scuttles the project entirely.
Although Malaysians have to cop a huge compensation bill to Lynas, it’ll be worth it. Just wear the fiscal pain for a decade.
Pemerhati: This is the price Malaysians pay for electing corrupt and greedy Umno thieves as their leaders……
CiViC: The concern now is exposing our people, our land to radioactive waste, radiation and pollution. This is not the people’s needs.
Thousands of people have protested, and still the dirty corrupt BN government pushes it through. And please don’t start with economic gains and such bull, there are no gains here since Lynas needs not pay tax, and the guarantee they have posted is not even enough to clean the plant itself, what more pollution beyond that…. http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/188438
Australian rare earths company Lynas involved in Malaysia’s coming election
Rare earth plant and general election 2012-02-03 , By LIM SUE GOAN Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE Sin Chew Daily, 6 Feb 2012, “……….Since the AELB has granted the Lynas a temporary operating licence (TOL), Lynas should have complied with the 11 recommendations made by the IAEA. The authority has also listed another five extra conditions under the TOL, including a detailed plan for a permanent disposal facility (PDF), to avoid repeating a similar waste disposal issue of the Bukit Merah rare earth plant.
However, why is Lynas given 10 months after the TOL’s issuance date to submit the plans and location of the PDF? In addition, the authority also has the right to appoint independent consultants to evaluate Lynas’ adherence to the set standards and regulations. Does it mean that the government may suspend the plant’s operation, if the conditions are found broken?
Also, Lynas must comply with the financial assurance condition by paying the government a US$50 million security bond in installments. However, it is not the main concern as the people’s health is priceless. With Lynas’ financial strength, US$50 million is nothing.
Would the anti-Lynas protest groups compromise after so much have been done by the government? Would the MCA and Chinese community groups change their stand? From the attitude of the Anti-Lynas groups and the public response, the Bukit Merah rare earth plant tragedy seems to be still clear in their minds. Under the international trend of concern over environmental issues, it is quite impossible to eliminate the opposition voices from the public.
The people resist even high-tension cables, telecommunication towers and garbage incinerator, how would they tolerate a rare earth plant that could bring radiation problems?
In addition, the authorities have left some doubts in dealing with the issue. For example, why the construction work of the plant was not suspended during the period when Lynas is required to fully comply with the 11 recommendations put forward by the IAEA? The progress of the construction work of the Mount Weld plant in Western Australia has even gone beyond expectation. Lynas had also constantly announced the date of operation, seemed like it was very sure of being granted an operation licence.
The uproar might be avoidable if the government has high credibility and supervision efficiency, which are also the key of the issue. http://www.mysinchew.com/node/69705
Although the Lynas rare earth plant is the world’s largest rare earth plant with the capacity to meet a fifth of the world’s demand, the people’s health is still the most important issue. The rare earth plant issue will be a thorny issue for the election.
Malaysian opposition to Lynas, the Ugly Australian company overseas
“We are disappointed but not surprised by the very weak application presented by Lynas. Most worrying of all is that Lynas’ proposed waste management plan is full of holes and is totally unsafe. ”
Raw Earth Miners and Processors, Bad Developers, 2 Feb 12 Today marked the final day for public comments on Lynas’ application for the pre-operational licence for its Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng.
Together with concerned citizens including representatives from the Pahang Bar Council and the Malaysian Medical Association who converged at the Pahang Secretariat Office, SMSL and SLC delivered a joint
submission to MOSTI and the AELB urging the two authorities to reject Lynas’ application until a safer plan is produced. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
Australian rare earths company Lynas has not solved its Malaysian radioactive waste problem
Locals say market won’t buy Lynas’ recycled waste, Malaysia, By Shannon Teoh, January 26, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Lynas Corp’s plans to recycle waste from its controversial RM2.5 billion rare earth plant in Kuantan into a commercial product will not be accepted by the market, local residents opposed to the refinery said today.
The Stop Lynas Coalition (SLC) and Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) groups said in a joint submission to the government that the synthetic gypsum the Australian miner hopes to produces from its waste is the subject of an international safety campaign due to radiation fears. The use of phospho-gypsum plaster-board and plaster cement in buildings as a substitute for natural gypsum may constitute an additional source of radiation exposure to both workers and members of the public,” the document quoted from Internet-based environmental organisation Zero Waste America. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 