THE Government must suspend Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths Ltd’s operational license until a permanent waste disposal solution is resolved to protect the public health and environment.
This is because Lynas has already generated and piled up more than a million tonnes of radioactive waste in its backyard while awaiting the permanent waste disposal solution, according to Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central committee member Sharan Raj.
“Lynas should not be allowed to continuously to operate and pilling up radioactive waste without a permanent waste disposal solution,” Sharan who is also the PSM Melaka state secretary pointed out.
“The Federal Government (Putrajaya) should initiate talks with Commonwealth of Australia (Canberra) to ship and bury the radioactive waste in the outback desert of Australia.”
Sharan was commenting on a Reuters report that the Department of Environment (DOE) has rejected Lynas’ application to build a permanent disposal facility (PDF) for radioactive waste in Pahang in its website.
The DOE has apparently marked on its website a rejection for Lynas’ Jan 26 environmental impact assessment (EIA) application to build the facility although the company said in a statement that this was due to the initial 12-week period expiring.
According to Reuters, Lynas is working to provide more information requested by Malaysian authorities to resume an assessment of its application to build a facility for its radioactive waste, it said on Wednesday.
“Once the information is provided, Lynas has been advised by the DOE that the assessment of the EIA will resume,” the company said, adding that it is working together with the relevant Malaysian Federal and State Governments to submit the information. – April 28, 2021
