NYT claims untrue, says Lynas
The truth is we have "bribed" ... ?
He has been bribed big time and he is expected to be booted ... ?
New York Times report on Lynas plant in Kuantan
KUALA LUMPUR: Lynas Corporation today rejected allegations in the New York Times that its rare earth plant in Kuantan has construction problems and that its design is environmentally hazardous.
“There is no truth at all to the report,” said the company’s executive chairman, Nicholas Curtis, at a press conference here.
“There will of course be technical queries in the normal course of a large scale construction operation that engineers have to debate, but all engineers involved in this operation are now completely comfortable with the solutions put forward.”
He gave the example of the 90 kilometres of piping the plant would use.
The New York Times quoted engineers as saying that almost all of the pipes ordered were made from standard steel and unsuitable for the corrosive slurry they would carry.
According to the newspaper, rare earth refineries in other countries use costlier stainless steel or steel piping with ceramic or rubber liners.
“Every piece used is engineered for safety,” Curtis said. “To say that we’ve used poor materials is factually incorrect.”
Recommendations accepted
The recommendations include strengthening Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board so that it has sufficient “human, financial, and technical resources, competence and independence” to do its job.
Curtis said Lynas would be able to fulfil all IAEA requirements be operational by the end of 2011.
But he agreed that the company had not done enough to engage the Kuantan community.
“We will correct that, starting now,” he said. “We will increase our commitment to the community with a long-term conversation with residents that will continue for the life of our plant.”
He commended the Malaysian government for calling in the IAEA to conduct an investigation, saying it did so with “clarity and speed”, reinforcing his confidence as a foreign investor.
He rejected claims that he had denied Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh a meeting due to a reluctance to speak, saying he was more than happy to hold a private meeting with her.
“However, it is not my position as a foreign guest to meet in public debate with an elected representative of Parliament,” he said. “It is my duty to find out what the community’s concerns are, which is best built in a private meeting between us, so there will be a free and open exchange of concepts and ideas.”
Lynas, an Australian company, plans to ship rare earth ore mined from Western Australia’s Mount Weld to the plant in Gebeng.
Rare earth metals are crucial to high technology products such as Boeing planes, smart bombs, Apple’s iPhone and the Toyota Prius.
Currently, China has a chokehold on rare earth, refining at least 95% of the global supply.
Also read:
The NYT report: The Fear of a Toxic Rerun
Lynas rare earth plant safe but…
Lynas dapat kelulusan bersyarat bina kilang
"Pasukan semakan IAEA tidak menemui sebarang ketidakpatuhan dengan standard keselamatan radiasi antarabangsa, kata ringkasan laporan panel itu.
Kilang memproses nadir bumi di Gebeng, Kuantan - Lynas Corporation telah mendapat kelulusan bersyarat untuk meneruskan projek mereka.
Menurut laporan panel itu, projek RM700 juta milik firma Australia berkenaan, adalah selamat tetapi Lynas perlu melaksanakan pelbagai langkah penambahbaikan di dalam pelbagai bidang sebelum ia boleh meneruskan operasi peringkat seterusnya.
"Pasukan semakan IAEA tidak menemui sebarang ketidakpatuhan dengan standard keselamatan radiasi antarabangsa, kata ringkasan laporan panel itu.
Panel semakan sembilan anggota itu ditubuhkan oleh IAEA setelah dicadangkan oleh Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsadan Industri dua bulan lalu bagi membuat kajian menyeluruh mengenai kilang Lynas di Gebeng yang terletak kira-kira 25 kilometer dari Kuantan.
Bagaimana pun, pasukan pengkaji IAEA mengenal pasti 10 isu yang disifatkannya perlu dilakukan penambahbaikan sebelum fasa pengeluaran lesen projek Lynas itu seterusnya.
Laporan itu juga menonjolkan bahawa undang-undang dan peraturan Malaysia berkaitan keselamatan radiasi adalah komprehensif dan selaras dengan standard IAEA.
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