Lynas faces challenges in Australia
Environmental Defenders Office Report
On Tuesday the 6th of March the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) lodged a referral on behalf of the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of W.A (ANAWA) to the EPA regarding Lynas Corporations operations at Mt Weld and their mining of rare earths.
This has led to widespread media attention on the concerns surrounding the amounts of radioactivity created by the isotopes, mainly thorium within the rare earth originating from Mt Weld.
These levels are below what the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requires for the transport to be classified under the regulations for safe Transportation of Radioactive Material. The IAEA levels have been taken into account by Lynas Corporation, which has led them to undertake only limited processing on site. This decision by Lynas Corporation means that the concentrate to be transported falls under the IAEA’s limits and will not require them labelling the product as radioactive.
The levels emitted are said to be 4 microsieverts per hour and the material contains approximately 8 Becquerel’s per gram.
Lynas Corporation is planning on transporting the concentrate from Mt Weld through the port of Fremantle to Malaysia.
ANAWA spokesperson Marcus Atkinson stated “Although the concentrate comes under IAEA limits we cannot ignore the fact that there are low levels of radioactivity in the product being shipped from Mt Weld to Fremantle for export to Malaysia. Workers need to be aware of what they are handling and the community needs to be aware that Lynas Corporation is planning up to 40 road trains per week over 15 years going via Leonora, Kalgoorlie and Kewdale for export from Fremantle."
"Appropriate health and safety procedures need to be in place if this is to go ahead. The Thorium within the concentrate is Alpha emitting and this can become extremely dangerous if it is to enter the body through inhalation or digestion. This is of concern especially for those involved in the handling of the rare earth concentrate during transport.”
Marcus Atkinson continued “Lynas Corporation, last week, received a letter from the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) regarding the referral to the EPA. Lynas Corporation was asked to halt any plans for export until the EPA gives their verdict. Lynas Corporation has responded to the letter through their lawyers stating that, they believe they have all the relevant approvals and expressed their unwillingness to halt any exports at this stage.”
Marcus Atkinson concluded “ANAWA also has concerns for Lynas’s LAMP plant in Malaysia, which at its full capacity of producing 22,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide; will produce 64,000 tonnes of waste containing 106 tonnes of radioactive thorium and 5.6 tonnes of radioactive uranium every year. This will need to be constantly isolated from the surrounding environment, yet before operations have even started we have seen reports of broken pipes and lack of planning. The IAEA have also voiced concerns that Lynas has no long term plan for the storage of waste created at the facility.”