The company said the DoE’s client charter required a decision on any EIA report within 12 weeks of submission.

It said the project’s EIA was submitted on Jan 26, before the DoE requested more information on the report.

“Lynas is working with the federal and Pahang state governments to provide the information requested by the DoE,” it said in a statement today.

“Because the initial 12-week period has expired, the DoE has stated on its website that the EIA is rejected.

“Once the information is provided, Lynas has been notified by the DoE that the assessment of the EIA will resume.”

Lynas said a later update will be provided as there are “significant developments in this matter”.

It was reported yesterday that the DoE had rejected Lynas’ EIA report for the proposed waste disposal plant. The department’s website stated that the report’s status was “rejected”.

Lynas, which operates its rare earths processing plant at Gebeng, Kuantan, announced in late January that the Pahang government had consented to a site at Bukit Ketam for its permanent disposal facility for water leach purification residue.

Bukit Ketam is located near the state’s border with Terengganu, more than 30km north of Kuantan.