AELB boss admits raising Sg Lembing dump site talk
Lee Long HuiPublished: Mar 15, 2012 1:23 PM | Updated: Mar 15, 2012 1:29 PM
The Atomic Energy Licencing Board (AELB) director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan has admitted raising the possible that Sungai Lembing, Pahang be used a dump site for waste produced by the Lynas Advance Material Plant.
The Atomic Energy Licencing Board (AELB) director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan has admitted raising the possible that Sungai Lembing, Pahang be used a dump site for waste produced by the Lynas Advance Material Plant.
Speaking to reporters today at AELB’s weekly media briefing, Raja Abdul Aziz stressed that he spoke about it merely as an example and that the authorities were not serious about it
He said that he raised the issue during a closed door briefing in Kuantan on March 5, pointing out that the suggestion was not made by Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob.
“When I spoke about it, it’s clear that not the MB of Pahang that suggested it, neither did I suggested it as well.
“I am the authority, I follow international standard and I follow regulatory requirement,” he said.
Last week, Sin Chew Daily reported that Adnan had made the suggestion to use an abandoned mine at Sungai Lembing as the dump site during the same briefing.
Clarifying matters today, Raja Abdul Aziz ruled out Sungai Lembing as a dump site because it was a tourist area and will not meet the criteria set out by the authorities.
“Don’t get excited (about Sungai Lembing) because most probably it’s not going to be that place anyway,” he said.
‘Lynas can say whatever they want’
He added that Lynas will need to obtain a separate license and produce a radiological impact assessment of its proposed dump sites.
On Lynas’ claim that it will start operating in June, Raja Aziz said was non-committal with his response.
“Lynas can say whatever they say... But you ask me whether they can start in June or not, we will see when we are ready,’ he said.
In January, the AELB had already approved a temporary operating licence (TOL) for Lynas, but it has yet to be issued, pending the company compliance with several conditions.
He said the board was also studying the ongoing judicial review application by Gebeng, Pahang residents, who are seeking to nullify the TOL.
He added that AELB was also studying the appeal from another group of Kuantan residents to Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Maximus Johnity Ongkili.
‘East Coast won’t be hit by tsunami’
Meanwhile, Raja Abdul Aziz also brushed off suggestions that the concentration of radioactivity within the vicinity of Gebeng and Kuantan will rise once the plant starts operations.
He said the thorium and uranium that will be found in the plant’s waste products, was already occurring in the environment and the concentration of these elements in the waste was “too small” to make any difference.
“Concentration (of radioactivity) doesn’t go up, the amount of (waste) goes up. If your pour one spoon of salt into the sea, the concentration of salt in the sea won’t go up.
“In our environment, there are many tonnes (of thorium and uranium),” he said.
Raja Abdul Aziz also dismissed suggestions that the plant, which is located very near the coast, could be exposed to a tsunami and cause radioactive leakages.
He said the East Coast has never been hit by a tsunami and stressed that no one has died in Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Raja Abdul Aziz advised the public to obtain proper information before making such allegations.
“If any radioactive leakages happens, I will be the first to be there to ensure your safety,” he said.
Speaking to reporters today at AELB’s weekly media briefing, Raja Abdul Aziz stressed that he spoke about it merely as an example and that the authorities were not serious about it He said that he raised the issue during a closed door briefing in Kuantan on March 5, pointing out that the suggestion was not made by Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob.
“When I spoke about it, it’s clear that not the MB of Pahang that suggested it, neither did I suggested it as well.
“I am the authority, I follow international standard and I follow regulatory requirement,” he said.
Last week, Sin Chew Daily reported that Adnan had made the suggestion to use an abandoned mine at Sungai Lembing as the dump site during the same briefing.
Clarifying matters today, Raja Abdul Aziz ruled out Sungai Lembing as a dump site because it was a tourist area and will not meet the criteria set out by the authorities.
“Don’t get excited (about Sungai Lembing) because most probably it’s not going to be that place anyway,” he said.
‘Lynas can say whatever they want’
He added that Lynas will need to obtain a separate license and produce a radiological impact assessment of its proposed dump sites.
On Lynas’ claim that it will start operating in June, Raja Aziz said was non-committal with his response. “Lynas can say whatever they say... But you ask me whether they can start in June or not, we will see when we are ready,’ he said.
In January, the AELB had already approved a temporary operating licence (TOL) for Lynas, but it has yet to be issued, pending the company compliance with several conditions.
He said the board was also studying the ongoing judicial review application by Gebeng, Pahang residents, who are seeking to nullify the TOL.
He added that AELB was also studying the appeal from another group of Kuantan residents to Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Maximus Johnity Ongkili.
‘East Coast won’t be hit by tsunami’
Meanwhile, Raja Abdul Aziz also brushed off suggestions that the concentration of radioactivity within the vicinity of Gebeng and Kuantan will rise once the plant starts operations.
He said the thorium and uranium that will be found in the plant’s waste products, was already occurring in the environment and the concentration of these elements in the waste was “too small” to make any difference.
“Concentration (of radioactivity) doesn’t go up, the amount of (waste) goes up. If your pour one spoon of salt into the sea, the concentration of salt in the sea won’t go up.
“In our environment, there are many tonnes (of thorium and uranium),” he said.
Raja Abdul Aziz also dismissed suggestions that the plant, which is located very near the coast, could be exposed to a tsunami and cause radioactive leakages.
He said the East Coast has never been hit by a tsunami and stressed that no one has died in Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Raja Abdul Aziz advised the public to obtain proper information before making such allegations.
“If any radioactive leakages happens, I will be the first to be there to ensure your safety,” he said.
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