Fuziah Salleh (PH-Kuantan) said that according to a preliminary environmental impact assessment by Lynas in 2008, the site, located near the rare earth producer’s plant, has groundwater less than 1m deep.
“Bearing in mind that radioactive waste has a half life of 14 billion years, what is the rationale for choosing Gebeng as the site?
“This is more so as the initial site selected in Bukit Ketam was rejected by the Pahang department of environment on grounds that it is a water catchment area,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
When contacted, Fuziah, who has been a vocal critic of Lynas, said one of the requirements stipulated in building a PDF was for the facility to be built away from water sources.
She also expressed concern that the condition of the PDF could deteriorate after 50 years.
“There is no guarantee the waste would not leak out and contaminate the environment,” she said, adding that while it was low-level radiation, it could still pose a danger after exposure to it for a long period.
Fuziah also said she could not understand why Lynas’ operations had yet to be suspended until its PDF was built.
In August, it was reported that Lynas had been granted a six-month extension to start building its PDF.
The following month, deputy science, technology and innovation minister Ahmad Amzad Hashim said movement restrictions following the Covid-19 pandemic had delayed the search for a suitable site.
Meanwhile, science, technology and innovation minister Dr Adham Baba said preliminary assessment of the new proposed site for the PDF found it classified as a low-risk flood area.
Bernama reported him as saying the radiological impact assessment (RIA) report was received in September and it was carried out due to concerns over the risk of floods in the area.
“A PDF has been identified in the Gebeng industrial area and is currently in the process of evaluation before approval for construction is issued,” he said during an oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Wong Tack (PH-Bentong) who wanted to know if the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) still adhered to the stand that radioactive waste accumulated at the Lynas plant should be evacuated immediately as the area is prone to major floods.
Adham said at present, the government is of the view that the transfer of accumulated radioactive waste can be expedited on the condition that construction of the PDF is expedited.
However, he said, before approval can be given for the construction of the PDF, two requirements set by AELB have to be met — namely the RIA and environmental impact assessment (EIA).