Lynas worried that MP who had opposed its operations before is now evaluating it

Lynas, which is facing a sharp slump in rare earths prices, has replaced its CEO Eric Noyrez and says it expects to finally reach its targeted rate of 11,000 tonnes a year by the end of June.

KUANTAN: Lynas Corporation said the appointment of an MP with a past of opposing the company's (controversial) rare earth factory to lead a review into its operations, will "raise concerns".

Without naming anyone, company secretary Andrew Arnold said the media had speculated that the chair of the proposed committee might be a "long time anti-Lynas campaigner".

"If that appointment is confirmed, then that will raise concerns.

"However, Lynas will advocate for a review that is transparent, impartial and scientific, consistent with other recent initiatives of the new government," he said in a statement on Monday (Sept 24).

The Star reported recently that Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh had been appointed as the chairman of a Lynas evaluation committee (She had been vocal in highlighting the environmental issues of the plant before).

Her three-month tenure as the head of the executive committee, that will evaluate the operations of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng here, became effective on Monday.

Arnold pointed out that Lynas had been the subject of several previous reviews independent of government, including two special missions by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and numerous court challenges to Lynas' operating licence.

"We have implemented all recommendations from the IAEA and the Parliamentary Select Committee. Lynas has been compliant with regulatory requirements during almost six years of operations.

"Each review has confirmed that Lynas operates in accordance with regulatory requirements imposed by Malaysian law and Lynas has adopted best practices on a range of environmental matters," he claimed.

Arnold added that the most recent Department of Environment-appointed third party environmental audit on Aug 28 and 29 found 10 best practices, one "opportunity for improvement" but no instances of non-compliance.