The department told Malaysiakini today the deadline had been extended from Nov 25 to Nov 30.

Fuziah told FMT she welcomed the extension although it could be longer.

“Now that Parliament is in session, our team does not have the time to meet our constituents and explain to them about the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report done by the DOE.

“The people of Kuantan could not understand the EIA displayed due to its ‘very technical’ nature, which requires experts to explain to them about the contents of the report.

“Plus, with the Covid-19 pandemic situation, we are unable to organise town hall sessions to explain the EIA in detail to the Kuantan public,” she said.

The EIA is no longer publicly accessible as the viewing period ended on Nov 11.

Last month, Fuziah had questioned the government’s rationale for selecting a site in Gebeng for Lynas to set up its PDF since the site has groundwater less than 1m deep, according to an EIA done by the rare-earth producer back in 2008.

The vocal critic of Lynas also said that one of the requirements stipulated in building a PDF was for the facility to be built away from water sources.

In addition, she expressed concern that the condition of the PDF could deteriorate after 50 years.

“There is no guarantee the waste will not leak and contaminate the environment,” she said.

Fuziah had previously said that although it was low-level radiation, it could still pose a danger after exposure for a long period.