The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) said Lynas' commitment to ship out all of its water leach purification (WLP) waste from its rare-earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan is non-binding to its temporary operating licence (TOL).
"It was never a condition of the licence.. When they (Lynas) made the commitment, we took note of the commitment and the board decided to issue the licence," AELB director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan (right in photo) told a media briefing this morning.
Asked why AELB only relied on Lynas' unilateral commitment without putting it in black and white, Raja Abdul Aziz explained that the agency was limited by laws and regulations.
However, he reiterated that if Lynas breaks its commitment to the public to ship the waste overseas, AELB will consider its options against Lynas.
"I'm sure they will take it out. The board decided it (and) took into account they will take it out.
“Should that not happen, there are various steps and considerations that the board can take," he said.
"It was never a condition of the licence.. When they (Lynas) made the commitment, we took note of the commitment and the board decided to issue the licence," AELB director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan (right in photo) told a media briefing this morning.Asked why AELB only relied on Lynas' unilateral commitment without putting it in black and white, Raja Abdul Aziz explained that the agency was limited by laws and regulations.
However, he reiterated that if Lynas breaks its commitment to the public to ship the waste overseas, AELB will consider its options against Lynas."I'm sure they will take it out. The board decided it (and) took into account they will take it out.
“Should that not happen, there are various steps and considerations that the board can take," he said.
On Wednesday, the AELB had announced that it had issued the TOL for the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (Lamp) effective Sept 3 and it will be valid for the next two years.
‘We’ve considered ongoing legal actions’
Asked about the board’s decision to issue the TOL despite two ongoing judicial review cases against its decision to approve the licence, Raja Abdul Aziz said AELB had already taken the matter into consideration.
“We are well aware of the two latest judicial review submissions and have taken into account all technical aspects and public opinion,” he said.
He noted that an appeal was also submitted to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Maximus Ongkili, but the ministry had decided to give its nod for the TOL approval.
Raja Abdul Aziz added that Lynas is not expected to immediately commence operations with its TOL but will first conduct a dry run of its Gebeng plant.
“The early stage will be a dry run to see if there are any leaks or other problems. They may run the plant with water or sand first to see if the process is working well,” he said.
He added that if Lynas were to break any of its TOL terms, several courses of action would be taken including suspension or revocation, depending on its severity.
He added that Lynas has yet to apply for permits to import lanthanide ore for the time being, but gave an assurance that the AELB would ensure proper safety measures before issuing a permit for each consignment.
Environmentalist group Himpunan Hijau had threatened to blockadeKuantan port should Lynas commence its import of raw materials to process at its Gebeng plant.
Asked about the board’s decision to issue the TOL despite two ongoing judicial review cases against its decision to approve the licence, Raja Abdul Aziz said AELB had already taken the matter into consideration.
“We are well aware of the two latest judicial review submissions and have taken into account all technical aspects and public opinion,” he said.He noted that an appeal was also submitted to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Maximus Ongkili, but the ministry had decided to give its nod for the TOL approval.
Raja Abdul Aziz added that Lynas is not expected to immediately commence operations with its TOL but will first conduct a dry run of its Gebeng plant.
“The early stage will be a dry run to see if there are any leaks or other problems. They may run the plant with water or sand first to see if the process is working well,” he said.
He added that if Lynas were to break any of its TOL terms, several courses of action would be taken including suspension or revocation, depending on its severity.
He added that Lynas has yet to apply for permits to import lanthanide ore for the time being, but gave an assurance that the AELB would ensure proper safety measures before issuing a permit for each consignment.
Environmentalist group Himpunan Hijau had threatened to blockadeKuantan port should Lynas commence its import of raw materials to process at its Gebeng plant.
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