The Penang chief minister said this in response to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wee Ka Siong who called him a hypocrite for having criticised the Lynas plant near Kuantan in the past.
Wee, who is MCA deputy president, had said Lim and the DAP was hypocritical for going all-out against Lynas and others but having done nothing to shut down the Sungai Lembu carbon filter factory, which was found to be illegally operating for more than 10 years.
Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, said he has also heard critics saying that Penang was okay with the Department of Environment’s (DoE) comments on the illegal carbon filter factory, but refused to listen to the same federal regulator on the issue of Lynas and nuclear plants.
The Penang government had recently revealed that the DoE had said the Sungai Lembu factory was “not polluting” but needed safety apparatus and emission controls installed. The factory has been sealed by the DoE pending a corruption probe which began two weeks ago.
Lim said the two matters raised by Wee were different.
He said Penang’s stand on rare earth and nuclear plants was a “policy decision”, citing similar policies undertaken by Germany and Japan.
He said the two countries had shut down nuclear plants despite having strict environmental safeguards put in place.
“We, too, are the same. We will not allow any uranium extraction, rare earth and other materials to be harvested.
“Despite whatever environmental safeguards taken by the DoE (on rare earth and nuclear plants), the state government will not agree with it,” Lim said in a press conference yesterday.
“As for other factories, they would have to follow DoE guidelines, as they are the technical body on these matters. We have been consistent about these two matters,” Lim said.
On Tuesday, Wee was reported as saying that the open burning of sawdust to make activated carbon at the Sungai Lembu factory was “too primitive and pollutes the air”, and a modern set-up could have reduced the pollution.
“So, it is hypocritical of DAP to have stirred up emotions prior to the last general election, picking up so many green issues.
“For example, Lynas in Kuantan or the Bukit Koman gold mining in Raub, both areas in Pahang.
“Yet, they choose not to act over the illegal carbon filter factory in Sungai Lembu, Bukti Mertajam, which PKR assemblywoman Norlela Ariffin had pleaded in the Penang state legislative assembly for the state government to act,” Wee said in an opinion piece published in Malaysiakini.
Gerakan: Satellite pics show illegal factory expanded in 2008
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/11/16/green-walk-from-kuantan-to-kl-gains-pace/