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Suspend or revoke AELB decision: Bar Council

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 10:39am

©The Sun (Used by permission)
BY TAN YI LIANG

PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council has hit out at the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) for its decision on Jan 30 to grant a temporary operating licence (TOL) to Australian company Lynas Corporation for its advance material plant in Kuantan.

Its president Lim Chee Wee wants the decision to be revoke or suspended pending the outcome of a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

He also urged the government to facilitate consultation between Lynas and all stakeholders.

“We strongly urge the government to take all necessary steps to protect its people and the environment,” said Lim, adding that the approval came only four days after 1,123 comments had been submitted by the public between Jan 3 and 26.

“It beggars belief that AELB could have adequately and properly considered the 1,123 comments within merely twoworking days. The only natural conclusion is that the whole public consultation process is a sham and charade,” Lim said in a statement yesterday.

He said the granting of TOL contravened recommendations made by the International Atomic Energy Agency which the government pledged to comply with.

“Furthermore, no detailed environmental impact assessment has been conducted for the Lynas project, although such a requirement should, and would, be applicable.

“According to the AELB press release, the plan and location of the permanent disposal facility have yet to be identified. This omission alone should have constituted sufficient grounds for the agency to dismiss the application.”

He criticised the granting of a 10-month period for Lynas to provide the plan and location of the permanent disposal facility.

“By then, even if the terms of the licence remain unfulfilled and the licence is suspended or cancelled, substantial amounts of radioactive waste would have been produced,” said Lim, pointing out that any catastrophe could cost hundreds of millions of ringgit to remedy.

“In spite of this, the financial guarantee imposed on Lynas amounts to a mere US$50million, which demonstrates AELB’s lack of concern,” said Lim.

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