KUANTAN: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Fuziah Salleh (pic) has called on Lynas to stop dilly-dallying and focus on sending its water leach purification (WLP) waste out of Malaysia.
The Kuantan MP said the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry had been very clear that there should be no research involving WLP.
"It is a radioactive waste that must be separated from the neutralisation underflow (NUF) residue, which is a scheduled waste.
"The ministry is clear that WLP must be sent back to its country of origin, which is Australia," Fuziah said after handing out flowers at the Pasar Tani here on Sunday (March 10) in conjunction with International Women's Day.
Lynas Malaysia revealed in its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report that it had managed to develop two types of products utilising the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant's (LAMP) process residue; a road base material and a soil conditioner product known as CondiSoil.
The report stated that as a soil conditioner, CondiSoil is composed of WLP, NUF and filler material at a ratio of 1:2:7.
"As NUF is highly rich in gypsum, it provides much needed nutrients to the soil in the form of magnesium, sulphide, calcium and phosphorus.
"Aside from being a great limiting agent, the calcium sulphate in CondiSoil also helps combat aluminium toxicity in the soil," read the executive summary of Lynas' EIA report for its proposed onsite secure landfill for the storage of NUF solids.
The report also said that due to favourable outcome of these researches, commercialisation efforts for the product will commence, once the approval for the Special Management of Scheduled Waste from the Department of Environment is received.
Fuziah slammed Lynas for obscuring public understanding on the matter and for trying to push WLP all the time.
"I think they better accept the fact that they only have six months left to settle this problem. Rather than dilly-dally and talk about this and that, they better focus on the ministry's suggestion.
"I have been made to understand that the ministry is doing their best to assist Lynas in sending the waste back to Australia," she said.
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