Deadline For Public Feedback On Lynas Pdf Extended To Nov 30

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The Department of Environment (DOE) has extended the deadline for public feedback on Lynas’ plan to construct a permanent disposal facility (PDF) in the Gebeng Industrial Estate in Kuantan, Pahang.
A DOE official confirmed with Malaysiakini when contacted today that the public feedback submission deadline has been pushed to Nov 30.
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is no longer publicly accessible, however, as the viewing period ended on Nov 11.
The project is to manage the disposal of radioactive water leach purification (WLP) residue from the Lynas rare earth plant.
The proposed site is located at Lot 31375, Kuantan Gebeng Industrial Estate, which sits 30m from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp).
According to DOE, the project spans 25ha and will take five years to complete.
Gading Senggara Sdn Bhd (GSSB) is the contractor for the PDF while the EIA report was prepared by consulting firm Dr Nik & Associates Sdn Bhd.
Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah is the majority shareholder of GSSB.

Not suitable
Environmental group Save Malaysia raised several points in its objection to the PDF, which it shared with Malaysiakini.
The first objection was over the proposed site, which it said is not suitable as it is a flood- and fire-prone low-lying tropical peatland.
It also voiced concerns over alleged "misclassification" of the WLP, saying that Lynas and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board had incorrectly classified WLP as very low-level radioactive waste when the government of Western Australia classified it as low-level radioactive waste.
"The incorrect and below-standard classification in Malaysia will result in poor management, increased maintenance costs, hazards and radiation exposure that will negatively impact on public health and the environment for Malaysia in the long run," Save Malaysia alleged.
Feini Tuang, a Kuantan resident who has a Master's degree in biosystems engineering, also raised concerns about the classification of the WLP.
She said that the climate in Malaysia was unsuitable for the storage of radioactive waste.
"The tropical rainforest climate with heavy monsoon rain and a flood- and fire-prone peatland with shallow groundwater are never suitable for a radioactive waste landfill as compared to the arid desert in Mt Weld (Lynas' base of operations in Western Australia).
"As a concerned citizen, I strongly oppose the proposed PDF. The waste belongs to Lynas and Malaysians should not ever be burdened or accepting of it," she said. - Mkini

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