LYNAS – Malaysian public fooled again by UMNO gomen

The LYNAS rare earth refinery project in Kuantan which will produce radioactive waste with extremely life of over 14 billion years had been given a TOL (Tempory Opperating License) only 4 days after after the closing date for a public feedback period. This indecent haste with which the UMNO/BN controlled AELB granted the TOL shows that they really do not care for public opinions which are overwhelmingly against the project.

Further, there were too many restrictions for the public to view the application for the TOL plus it had not been accompanied by an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) which is mandatory and LYNAS has still not have a PDF (Permanent Disposal Facility).

If you care for your own plus your family plus future generations, vote out the uncaring UMNO/BN so that the PR promise to close the facility can be fulfilled.

Read below what the Malaysian BAR has to say about it in Bar Council questions 'express licence' for Lynas courtesy of Malaysiakini:

Bar Council questions 'express licence' for Lynas

3:39PM Feb 7, 2012

The hasty manner in which the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) approved a temporary operating licence for the Lynas rare earth refinery was improper, said Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee.
He said that the licence was issued on Jan 30, just four days after the closing date for a public feedback period.
“It beggars belief that AELB could have adequately and properly considered the 1,123 public comments within merely two working days.  
“The only natural conclusion is that the whole public consultation process is a sham and charade,” said Lim (right) in a statement today.
The public consultation period took place between Jan 3 to Jan 26, to allow the public to scrutinise Lynas’ application for a licence.
There have been complaints that the AELB applied too many restrictions during the viewing process, which includes limiting the amount of time each individual can view the document.
Meanwhile, Lim pointed out that the legality of the AELB decision on Jan 30 was also in question because the detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the Lynas plant had not yet been conducted.
‘Where is the EIA?’
Lim argued that the EIA was a prerequisite, noting that as of Feb 1, even the permanent disposal facility for the Lynas plant had yet to be identified.
“This omission alone should have constituted sufficient grounds for AELB to dismiss the application,” he said.
In view of this, Lim urged the federal government to suspend or cancel the temporary operating licence.
On the 10-month period for Lynas to submit its plans for a permanent waste storage facility, Lim said this was reckless because if the terms of the licence remain unfulfilled, a substantial amount of radioactive waste would have been produced.
“These wastes would burden Malaysia for the imaginable future, as thorium, one of the wastes produced, has an inconceivably long half-life of over 14 billion years.
“It will take that much time for half the atoms in any sample of thorium to decay,” warned Lim.
He added that should a catastrophe befall the affected area, a large amount of money would be required for remedial action, as shown in the case of the Asian Rare Earth Plant in Bukit Merah, Perak.