Tag Archives: Lynas

In-Depth

How Public Input Affects EIA Reports

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The government recently said that it “welcomes public comments on EIA reports”. Macaranga digs into what comments actually matter, and why. Part 1 of 3. Read Part 2 and Part 3.

WHEN RARE earth refinery Lynas Malaysia wanted to build a disposal facility for its radioactive waste in 2021, its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report got a record-breaking 4,000 comments from the public. Most opposed the facility. But the report got approved anyway.

Does public feedback even matter? It does, but only if it addresses technical issues in the report. The EIA review is not a voting process, say EIA consultants.

In this 3-part series, Macaranga speaks with the Department of Environment (DOE), EIA consultants, and civil society organisations to learn how we can make public participation more meaningful in shaping what projects are run and how.

(Feature image: KUASA, an environmental NGO, held mock environmental impact assessment sessions for Orang Asli communities to prepare them for future dialogues with developers and consultants. (Photo courtesy of KUASA))

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Insight

A Final Home for Lynas’ Waste?

Lynas Malaysia has located a site in Pahang to build a permanent disposal facility for its radioactive waste, with consent from the state. But what is a permanent disposal facility?

MORE THAN 7 years after they started operations in Malaysia, rare earths producer Lynas Corporation might finally be within grasp of a state-approved solution for its radioactive waste.

In a January 30 statement, Lynas says it has identified a site with consent from the Pahang state government to build what it calls a ‘permanent disposal facility’ (PDF).

(Photo: The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant near Kuantan, Malaysia, March 11, 2019. The facility extracts rare earth oxides from ores imported from Australia and generates radioactive residue in the process. Credit: LawYH)

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Insight

The Lynas License Renewal: What Does It Mean?

ON 15 AUGUST 2019, Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) released a press statement announcing that they had renewed for 6 months the operating license of rare earths producer Lynas Malaysia. This renewal carries three conditions.

Each time Lynas’ license comes up for, or is renewed, it is a political hot potato. Supporters for and against renewals have protested on the streets to voice their environmental and economic concerns.

And it has become a sticking point as to whether or not the Pakatan Harapan government is keeping its pre-election promises.

To help you better understand the terms and context of this licence renewal, Macaranga dug into the licensing board’s statement as well as previous reports and documents related to Lynas.

(Photo: Lynas Advanced Material Plant, Kuantan, 15 Dec 2018. Credit: Save Malaysia Stop Lynas; Read AELB’s full statement here. Documents cited in this article are listed at the end of the article.)

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