PETALING JAYA: Lynas Malaysia has denied that the site identified at Bukit Ketam for its permanent deposit facility (PDF) in Pahang is in a water catchment area.
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In a press statement, it said anti-Lynas activists had made uninformed and misleading statements about the effect of Bukit Ketam on Kuantan’s water supply.
“External experts have confirmed that the site at Bukit Ketam is not in a water catchment area.
“Expert studies have shown that the PDF can be constructed to ensure there is no pathway for material to reach the water supply,” it said today.
The rare earths producer further expressed disappointment over the behaviour of activists, stating false statements and inflammatory accusations made by them have the “apparent intent of misleading Malaysians”.
It clarified that the Pahang state government had made a careful study before giving its consent for the site at Bukit Ketam to be made a PDF for Lynas’ water leach purification (WLP) residue.
“The consent letter received from the state government is one of the key criteria set by the Malaysian government for the renewal of Lynas’ operating licence,” it said.
The Lynas plant is the largest rare earths facility outside of China.
Lynas said the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) had been informed of the consent for the PDF by the state government.
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“Prior to the construction of the storage facility, further work will be undertaken in accordance with international guidelines and regulatory requirements,” it said.
Lynas further said it will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including the state and federal governments, regulatory authorities and the community every step of the way.
It added that four independent scientific reviews have found that Lynas Malaysia is low risk and compliant with all relevant regulations, including a scientific review by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which concluded its 2014 report.
Bukit Ketam is located near the state’s border with Terengganu, more than 30km north of Kuantan.
After Bukit Ketam was announced as the Lynas’ PDF, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh, a noted critic of the project, claimed it could contaminate water supply and said a detailed environmental impact assessment had yet to be carried out.
“Bukit Ketam is on the Terengganu border and adjacent to Bukit Kuantan on one side. Coincidentally, Bukit Kuantan is a water catchment area for Sungai Kuantan and pumps water to the Semambu treatment plant, which processes drinking water for 600,000 residents of Kuantan.”
Lynas has appointed Gading Senggara Sdn Bhd to manage the entire PDF project, including design, construction and operation, for US$98 million (RM400 million). -FMT