Western Australian Green MLCs have joined a massive public outcry from Malaysians to oppose the imminent first shipment of radioactive ore as Sydney-based mining company Lynas moves to ship 22000 tonnes of radioactive ore through Fremantle Port each year.
The ores from Mt Weld are processed to a concentrate suitable for shipment to the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) in Gebeng, about 25km from Kuantan in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. Over 700000 residents live within a 30km radius of the plant.
The history of the plant has been fraught with difficulty, with significant opposition from the Malaysian community, who are unwilling to be the recipient of Australia’s contaminated wastes and have consistently protested the plant in gatherings of up to 15000 people.
Despite the widespread concerns over the plant and the disposal of its radioactive wastes, a two-year temporary licence for the company has been issued.
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Robin Chapple MLC, Greens WA spokesperson for the Mining and Pastoral region had this to say about the announcement of Lynas’ licence: “For all intents and purposes, this approval looks like the sanctioning of an Australian mining company making use of lax environmental controls and governance arrangements in a developing country. To my mind it has not gone through a rigorous environmental process and should not have been issued. This is a poor representation of Australian notions of ‘fair play’ and good corporate citizenship and one that it seems our State Government is paying little mind to.
“To add an additional layer to this story the ores are to be shipped through Fremantle Port within a matter of weeks, and has had no consultation with community. The City of Fremantle has one of the most environmentally proactive Councils in the state, and its ability to represent its constituents, many of whom would be opposed to having these ores come through their City, has been severely hampered by the deficient governance processes of Lynas.”
Fremantle based Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said: “Just as the Fremantle community resoundingly rejected the risk of exposure to lead carbonate, we oppose shipping this material through our city. We don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of subjecting innocent men, women and children in Malaysia to exposure of toxic waste.
“It is unacceptable for the Australian Government to wash its hands of responsibility for the effects of unsustainable mining, whether they are in our own backyard or that of our neighbours,” she concluded.
Source: lynnmaclaren.org.au
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The Greens are absolute poison for Australia, They are not interested in facts they are interested in scaring people into voting for them. What a disgrace!
Lynas CEO was an idiot for trying to lower the production costs while spreading the economic benefits to neighbouring countries.
What’s happening now, will be a good lesson for all non-Malaysian businesses.
They will now THINK TWICE before investing there.
Correction: The good lesson is that we welcome investors PROVIDED they are not going to dump vast amounts of toxic waste in our country without any serious, solid plan on how they are going to manage it.
Dirty industries should THINK TWICE about investing here, I couldn’t agree with you more.
Why so much hatred against rare earths?
Is it Malaysian revenge for Keating calling their politician “recalcitrant”?
Is it chinese interests removing the competition?
Or is it just an opportune issue for some low caliber politicians to achieve notoriety?
So are you another pro-Lynas propaganda boy from Australia?
Is it Aussie interests in making a fast buck while leaving behind the toxic waste in a ‘third world’ country?
Please dump the waste in your back garden, mate. We don’t want it here. Take it back. Oh I forgot, the Western Australian government does not want to accept the radioactive waste in the state. Gee, I wonder why.
haha..haha.. using banana to compare with rare-earth? I would want to see Jerry Lee eating free rare-earth waste so he doesnt have to spend a cent for banana. Is he innocent or trying to distort the risk of radioactivity of zirconium. What a joke!!
From : Goat Leong (graduate of Imperial College, Environmental Engineering, Education helps!!)
Unlike Pelosi’s America where you have to pass legislation before you find out what is in it, it seems that Malaysia and Lynas had done their homework and passed the most stringent of tests in Malaysia before they obtained operating approval. Has anyone bothered to ask what Lynas intends to do with the material they will be shipping back to Australia? Has any Australian government agency examined/assessed the alleged toxicity of the waste materials to be shipped back??
I am Malaysian.
This is ridiculous! There is more radiation is a banana than what they will be processing.
Stop misrepresenting the facts!
Oh, another propaganda boy from Australia?
Bon appetit!:
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2011/07/10/bananas-are-radioactive.htm
There is more radiation in a banana or a smoke alarm, stop scaremongering average people with “radiation” claims unless you know what you are talking about.
Radiation exists everywhere (including sunlight) and we are exposed to it on a daily basis the level of radiation is the issue.
Read this: http://kickdefella.net/2012/04/17/lynas-negligible-radiation-but-only-toxic-chemical-waste/
Lynas plant has been scrutinized more heavily than any other in history, the findings by Malaysian and international experts including Mayasia’s own atomic energy regulators is that the plant is safe. It is also the most advanced facility of its kind anywhere in the world.
Similar plants have been operating in other countries like France for over 50 years without any problems.
Another example of politicians trying to use “media hype” without facts to get some attention.
Ah, the pro-Lynas propaganda boys are back as usual.
I can bet they are from Australia. So eager to dump toxic waste in ‘third world’ countries like Malaysia.
If the plant is so safe, build it in Australia. Oh I forgot, the Australian government isn’t as enlightened as the ‘far-sighted’ Malaysian government *sarcasm intended*.
Its useless anti-propaganda. These pro-lynas people are like cockcroaches.
It is so obvious that the Australian government do not want Lynas in their own back yard to contaminate their own environment hence they have Lynas built in a third world country like Malaysia. Simple as that and they also know no matter how much their people can protest on the plant. The plant will remain there regardless of the number of protests so long as the political leaders are very well taken care off. So to ensure the plant be removed kick the … morons out of Putrajaya in the coming GE !