South Korea’s highest court rejects appeal from zinc smelter against shutdown
The fate of the 400,000 metric ton-per-year smelter, the world's sixth-largest, has been closely watched as zinc prices soared 17.5% this year.
Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) has postponed granting a temporary rare earths mine operating license (TOL) to Australian miner Lynas Corp. (ASX:LYC) until an outstanding appeal by residents to the science, technology and innovation minister has been completed.
The decision comes only a day after the Australian miner announced the Gebeng plant, located on the east coast of Malaysia, was 97% complete and ready to operate in three weeks.
Lynas has been under attack from residents, environmentalists and even filmmakers since the company started building the facility in 2010.
In January, the regulator approved the TOL for Lynas’ Gebeng but has said it will not issue the permit until the Australian miner complies with extra safety conditions.
Critics of the project believe that allowing the US$230 million refinery will jeopardize Malaysian’s well being and the environment. Supporters, on the other hand, remark that the plant is set to become one of the few sources outside China to process rare earths and produce metals used in high-tech equipment from weapons to cell phones.
Currently, about 90% of rare earths metals are processed in China. However, since the operations produce radioactive waste, Beijing has decided to restrict its rare earth mining.
Eric Noyrez, president and chief operating officer of Lynas Corp., said in a media briefing yesterday that the company hopes to meet the members of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) “to clear the misleading information being spread about the LAMP rare earths facility, “ reports International Business Times.
“We have no intention to dump the waste (from LAMP) as we see money in them and have developed the technology to turn them into saleable items. All these have been done at both laboratory and pilot scales, using between 100 and 200 tonnes of the raw material,” Noyrez said.
The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) was originally scheduled to start processing rare earths in the third quarter of 2011.
Comments
samliong
LYNAS CORP , DON’T JUST TALK.
“Lynas have developed the technology to turn the waste into saleable items.”, Noyrez said.
IF LYNAS CORP SAYS THEY HAVE THE VALUE FOR THIS THORIUM WASTE SO BUY FROM MALAYSIA FIRST
MALAYSIA HAVE ENOUGH OF ITS OWN 80,000 DRUMS OF THORIUM WASTE..
MALAYSIA WANTS TO EXPORT ITS OWN THORIUM WASTE OUT TOO ,
WILL AUSTRALIA OR LYNAS CORP BUY MALAYSIA’S THORIUM WASTE NOW ?
BUY MALAYSIA LOCAL THORIUM WASTE AND EXPORT THEM FIRST FOR US .. 1 MALAYSIA BEST THORIUM
LYNAS RAW RARE EARTH CONCENTRATES WITH THORIUM MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO LAND AT GEBENG ..
NO MORE FOREIGN COUNTRIES ‘ THORIUM WASTE DEPOSIT IN KUANTAN OR ANY PART OF MALAYSIAN SOIL ANYMORE..
Thorium waste in Bukit Merah « For A Better Malaysia
I read with amusement the latest article on Mitsubishi Chemical’s recent US 100 million cleanup (1) of the radioactive waste in its former plant in Bukit …
fabm.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/thorium-waste-in-bukit-merah – Cached
Malaysia: Radiation Fears Fuel Protest — Global Issues
… to expert testimony that the plant would be safe, but they were adamant that the thorium waste be shipped out. ‘The waste must not be stored here or anywhere in Malaysia .