Ministry sets pre-conditions for Lynas to operate in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: The Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Ministry yesterday set out pre-conditions for the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant to continue operating in the country.

The ministry said the accumulated water leached purification (WLP) residue, which contained radioactive materials, must be removed from the country, and Lynas must submit an action plan on the disposal of its accumulated non-radioactive neutralisation underflow (NUF) residue.

The accumulation of WLP and NUF residues at its rare earth plant in Gebeng, Pahang, stood at 451,564 metric tonnes and 1.113 million metric tonnes, respectively. The residue had been accumulating for six years since the beginning of Lynas’ operations in 2012 and were being stored at its temporary storage facility.

Lynas’ temporary storage licence for WLP residue expires on Sept 2 next year, while the NUF residue licence is valid until Feb 15.

“The ministry is concerned about the increasing risk from the continued accumulation of residue without a viable solution to manage its accumulation in the near term.

“The ministry is concerned about the increasing amount of accumulated residue at Lynas’ temporary open landfill site as it is exposed to the threat of natural disasters, such as major flooding.

“The risks to surrounding communities and environment will increase as the amount of accumulated residue grows.

“For this reason, the ministry will not allow the unlimited accumulation of residue at the plant. The ministry is confident that the pre-conditions set will ensure the wellbeing of the community and environment.”

The pre-conditions were set following the detailed report by the Operations Evaluation Executive Committee, which was set up on Oct 16 to review Lynas’ operations and ensure that Malaysia did not become a dumping ground for toxic waste.

The ministry also noted that Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Lynas Malaysia) was conducting research to recycle WLP and NUF residue as a soil conditioner called Condisoil.

“However, having received expert opinion, the committee reported that the duration of the studies was insufficient to conclude on the safety of using Condisoil. Therefore, the ministry agrees with the committee’s recommendation that long-term studies can be conducted without the use of WLP residue.”

The committee’s report can be obtained at https://tinyurl.com/laporanlamp.