Representatives of the Himpunan Hijau NGO coalition broke through security at the Australian High Commission’s National Day celebrations at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) to protest the Lynas Corporation’s rare earth plant in Gebeng, Pahang.
Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack said press outside the event in reference to Lynas, “We will shut you down on June 22. We are giving you six months. One-point-two million Malaysians have already signed a petition supporting us.”
The NGO was tipped off that the Australian National Day celebration was co-sponsored by Lynas, prompting the protest.
A minor altercation occured when Wong and several Himpunan Hijau protestors were stopped by security officials. The security manager for the Australian High Commission promised to convey the group’s demands to the acting High Commissioner today.
Malaysia’s regulator Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) said last year that no final decision has been made on Lynas’ plan to recycle waste from its Kuantan rare-earth plant.
Malaysia’s regulator Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) said last year that no final decision has been made on Lynas’ plan to recycle waste from its Kuantan rare-earth plant.
According to AELB, Lynas had already submitted the results of its research on the recycling of its Water Leached Purification (WLP) residue for commercial use as road base aggregates or road building materials, but further study was required.
The WLP is reportedly the only one of three residues produced as by-products of the refining process that is radioactive, with a reading of six becquerel per gram.
Besides submitting its waste recycling plans to AELB in July 2012, Lynas had also handed over its plans for a permanent disposal facility (PDF) in the same month to the regulator.
AELB has confirmed that it already approved Lynas’s PDF plans after finding that it had met the necessary requirements.
Video: KiniTV
Source: The Malay Mail Online
