KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 17): Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd has refuted a news article that claims the company’s rare earth processing plant in Pahang caused radioactive contaminants in underground water.
"It is false to suggest that Lynas found 'high radioactivity levels' in underground water. As noted in the radiation impact assessment (RIA) of the permanent disposal facility in Gebeng, radionuclide concentrations of groundwater remain within the Ministry of Health of Malaysia and World Health Organization guidance levels for drinking water,” Lynas Malaysia general manager of radiation safety Dr Ismail Bahairi said in a statement on Friday (Feb 17).
"It is also misleading to suggest that Lynas 'discovered' radioactive elements in fish from nearby rivers.
“The RIA includes a comparison of radionuclides in fish caught on site in the Lynas stormwater retention pond in Sg Balok, and from other locations in Pahang and Peninsular Malaysia. As stated in the RIA, there was no significant difference in the radionuclides of fish caught on site and off-site, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise," Ismail added.
He was responding to an article published by Malaysiakini.
"Lynas Malaysia is deeply disappointed by the selective and misleading reporting of scientific data in a Malaysiakini article titled 'From total closure to partial closure - Lynas, 11 years on' on Feb 17, 2023," said Ismail.
Ismail stressed that Lynas Malaysia had operated safely for over 10 years, in line with Malaysian regulations and international best practice.
This was evidenced by four scientific reviews, including two reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and an extensive review of operations by then minister Yeo Bee Yin’s 2018 Executive Review Committee, which found Lynas Malaysia to be low-risk and compliant with regulations, he noted.
He then explained that naturally occurring radioactive materials are found throughout nature, including in human bodies, and are part of life on earth. It is false and misleading to suggest that the presence of radionuclides in baseline monitoring of groundwater, sediment and fish indicates “contamination”.
"The RIA of the permanent disposal facility in Gebeng states there is no significant difference in radionuclides in groundwater or fish near the Lynas Malaysia plant in 10 years of operation. This is based on scientific evidence from monitoring data recorded before Lynas Malaysia began operating in Gebeng, and 55 rounds of independent monitoring during nine years of Lynas Malaysia’s operation," he stated.
This RIA was part of an environmental impact assessment (EIA), which was evaluated by technical experts and subject matter specialists, including Sahabat Alam Malaysia. It was also on public display for 1.5 months to enable public comment.
"Local and international experts also provided feedback on the EIA report, and the EIA was approved by the Department of Environment," he added.
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