Saturday 30 August 2014

Stop Lynas from building road using rare earth waste

The Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas (SMSL) group has called on Pahang assemblymen not to allow Lynas to build a road to demonstrate the safe use of its rare earth processing waste.

SMSL chairman Tan Bun Teet said the company’s proposal to build the road was not in line with common practice.

“This is because all tests and experiments on the use of rare earth processing waste should be undertaken before the refinery is set up in the first place.

“We call on all assemblymen to urge the Pahang government not to allow the road to be built in our state,” he said at a gathering to hand over a memorandum to six assemblymen and Kuantan PKR MP Fuziah Salleh here yesterday.

In the Lynas second quarterly report, the company had stated that it was preparing to seek the Department of Environment’s approval for the road’s construction using the “water leach purification” product.

However, it was not mentioned where the road would be built.

Tan also said a proposal by Lynas to recycle its neutralisation underflow product into enhancer fertiliser would have been beneficial for the company and the country.

But, unfortunately, there were still no supporting data and studies on it, he said.

“As long as there are no details and data on this synthetic product for the scrutiny of agriculture experts, we urge the state government not to allow it to be used in any farms in Pahang,” he added.