Lynas Corporation

Raw Earth Miners and Processors

LAMP processing plant first mooted for Zibo City Shandong China (2005), Kemaman Malaysia (2007) and finally Kuantan Malaysia(2008).

See other images here including December 2013 floods

November 29 2013: Shareholders Urged To Divest From Lynas

November 29 2013: Lynas Thwarts Environmental Groups Attempts To Speak To Shareholders

October 1 2013: Rare Earth Miner Lynas Admits Further Output Trouble

September 27 2013: Fight Over Lynas Processing Plant Gets Physical

Harapanbaru: It's clear that we live not in two separate Malaysias but in two separate worlds. One world is inhabited by parasitic descendants of pirates with serious personality disorders...Those in the bogus world value only superficial appearances and so they spend lavishly on decorating themselves with fancy titles and their mansions with luxury furnishings. They squander millions on self-promotion (spray-painting their faces on trains, buses, wherever they can be seen and worshipped like gods by a stupefied public), paying exorbitant amounts to foreign public relations shills to whitewash their tarnished image. In the real world populated by authentic human beings, those who stand up for the truth and for social justice are the very soul of the nation - the reason why we feel proud to call ourselves Malaysians.

September 26 2013: Deputy Minister's Lynas Safe As 'Kicap' Factory Statement Leads To Scuffle

September 17 2013: Debt Relief Eases Strain On Lynas

September 17 2013: Lynas Reports First Production and Heavy Losses

September 16 2013: Lynas Soars On Debt Deal

April 2013: White smoke billowing out during testing of Lynas kiln. Apparently the gas treatment plant at this time had a failed gas filter. Gas emissions alternated between dark and white smokes every 10 minutes. We learnt later that Lynas let the kiln finish its job despite the failed gas filter.

June 18 2013: Lynas Drops Defamation Case Against Environment Group

March 7 2013: Rare Earths Move For Anwar But Only If Proved Safe

March 4 2013: Lynas Chief Executive To Step Down

January 28 2013: Summary Of Criticial Assessment of LAMP Plant Lynas by Oko Institut (Germany)

January 28 2013: Complete Critical Assessment of LAMP Plant Lynas by Oko Institut (Germany)

January 28 2013: Rare earth refining in Malaysia without coherent waste management concept (Press Release)

Rare Earth Refining In Malaysia Without Coherent Waste Management Concept (Press Release)

The facility for refining Australian ore concentrate rich in rare earth metals of Lynas Corporation in Malaysia has several deficiencies concerning the operational environmental impacts. The environment is affected by acidic substances as well as from dust particles, which are emitted into the air in substantially larger concentrations than would be state-of-the-art in off-gas treatment in Europe. The storage of radioactive and toxic wastes on site does not prevent leachate from leaving the facility and entering ground and groundwater. For the long-term disposal of wastes under acceptable conditions concerning radiation safety a sustainable concept is still missing. These are the results of a study of Oeko-Institute on behalf of the Malaysian NGO SMSL.

In its facility in Kuantan/Malaysia Lynas refines ore concentrate for precious rare earth metals. These strategic metals are applied for example to produce catalysts, Nickel metal hydride batteries, permanent magnets. A number of emerging key- and future-technologies depends from the supply of these rare earths. The ore concentrate to be refined in Malaysia additionally contains toxic and radioactive constituents such as Thorium. The NGO commissioned Oeko-Institute to check whether the processing of the ore leads to hazardous emissions from the plant or will remain as dangerous waste in Malaysia.

Storage of wastes insufficient

The storage of wastes, that are generated in the refining process, shall be stored in designated facilities on the site, separately for three waste categories. According to chemist and nuclear waste expert Gerhard Schmidt, there will be problems with the pre-drying of wastes that is of a high Thorium content. “Especially in the wet and long monsoon season from September to January, this emplacement process doesn’t work”, says Schmidt. “The operator has not demonstrated how this problem can be resolved without increasing the radiation doses for workers”.

Additionally the storages are only isolated with a one-millimeter thick plastic layer and a 30 cm thick clay layer. This is insufficient to reliably enclose the several meters high and wet waste masses. “For the long-term management of these wastes Lynas has urgently to achieve a solution”, claims Gerhard Schmidt, and adds: “in no case those wastes should be marketed or used as construction material, as currently proposed by the operator (Lynas) and the regulator (AELB/MOSTI). According to our calculations this would mean to pose high radioactive doses to the public via direct radiation”.

Mass balance for toxic constituents incomplete

One of the most serious abnormalities is that in the documents relevant data is missing, which prevents reliably accounting for all toxic materials introduced”, says project manager Gerhard Schmidt. “So it is not stated which and to what amount toxic by-products, besides Thorium, are present in the ore concentrate. Also in the emissions of the facility via wastewater only those constituents are accounted for that are explicitly listed in Malaysian water regulation, but not all emitted substances.” The salt content of the wastewater is as high that it is comparable to seawater. This is discharged without any removal into the river Sungai Balok.

Scientists question the issued licenses

The scientists at Oeko-Institute evaluate the detected deficiencies as very serious. Those deficiencies should have been already detected in the licensing process, when the application documents were being checked. However the operator received a construction license in 2008 and a temporary operating license in 2012.

Especially for the safe long-term disposal of the radioactive wastes a suitable site that meets internationally accepted safety criteria has to be selected urgently. A consensus has to be reached with the affected stakeholders, such as the local public and their representatives. “If it further remains open how to manage those wastes in a long-term sustainable manner, a future legacy associated with unacceptable environmental and health risks is generated”, considers Schmidt. “The liability to prevent those risks and to remove the material is so shifted to future generations, which is not acceptable.”

Strategic role of rare earths

Rare earths are important metals that are used in future technologies such as efficient electro motors, lighting and catalysts. In its study from 2011 "Study on Rare Earths and Their Recycling" Oeko-Institute showed that no relevant recycling of these metals is performed so far. Albeit recent positive developments in this direction: satisfying the prognosticated global requires the extension of the worldwide primary production. For many years rare earth metals were exclusively mined and refined in the People’s Republic of China. By pointing to their own needs, China finally followed a restrictive export policy. Additionally, the mining and refining of rare earths there is associated with high environmental impacts. To establish additional primary production of rare earths outside China therefore makes sense. However, high environmental standards have, of course, to be met. But this is not the case in one of the first new facilities to be operated outside China, as this study of Oeko-Institute on the Lynas plant demonstrates.

December 25 2012: Lynas site is located on a peat swamp! Note poor drainage after rain.

December 24 2012: Lynas site some days after heaviest rainfall

December 26 2012: Sediment laden polluted water already leaving Lynas Site. More pictures here

Major Lynas Headache: Lynas will produce 230,000 tons of solid waste PER YEAR. This will include at least 106 tonnes of radioactive thorium and a small quantity of uranium. Lynas is expecting the refinery to operate for at least 10 to 15 years.

December 19 2012: Lynas's Waste Plans A Toxic Pipe Dream

December 11 2012: Lynas Hits Another Bump In Malaysia

MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Joint Ministerial Statement on Lynas

by:

YB. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry

YB. Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation

YB. Dato’ Sri Douglas Unggah Embas Minister of Natural Resources and Environment

YB. Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai Minister of Health

In response to recent inaccurate media reports regarding the removal of the residue generated by the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP), we wish to restate the Government’s position on the matter.

1. As Ministers responsible for portfolios directly associated with the Lynas project, we reiterate that public health and safety continue to be our utmost priority.

2. The Temporary Operating Licence (TOL) granted to Lynas requires as a specific condition that the company removes all the residue generated by LAMP out of Malaysia. This includes all products made from the residue. The Cabinet has also endorsed this condition.

3. Should Lynas fail to comply with this condition, the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) is empowered, under section 22 of the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304), to suspend or revoke the TOL and order Lynas to immediately cease operation.

The obligation imposed on Lynas in this matter is very clear. The Government will not compromise the health and safety of the “Rakyat” and the environment in dealing with the issue of Lynas.

Ministry of International Trade and Industry Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 10 December 2012

December 1 2012: Lynas Plant On Line - Protests To Continue

December 2012: Your Smartphone's Dirty Radioactive Secret (Mother Jones Magazine)

Nov 22 2012: Lynas suddenly announced the arrival of its secret first shipment of rare earths into the Kuantan port. The pre transportation was heavily guarded by the police - rousing even more anger amongst Malaysians why public funded security is given to a foreign company that pays no tax. According to Malaysian residents: "We heard complaints from a few of the policemen that they had to do the escort from 9pm to 6am and they were rewarded only with bottled water and a cheap snack of fried rice noodle!"

Lynas Alternative Annual Report November 2012

RAMPONUSAMY GOVINDASAMY (Nov 20 2012): First thing, the plant is not safe. Second thing it is located not in a proper place, it is placed in a swamp area. There is history in Malaysia when Mitsubishi did a plant if affected a lot of residents there.

November 20 2012: Questions Over Malaysian Lynas Plants Waste Management Plans (ABC Radio National)

November 20 2012: Rare Earth Miners Under Fire From Malaysian Protesters (ABC National)

November 20 2012: Protesters To Demonstrate Outside Lynas AGM in Sydney (ABC)

November 20 2012: Lynas Rare Earth Plant: Malaysians Protest in Sydney

November 20 2012: Lynas Starts Date For Controversial Plant

November 20 2012: Lynas Chief Prepares To Meet Angry Shareholders

November 20 2012: Malaysians In Sydney Vow To Shut Lynas Down

November 9 2012: Lynas Calls For Cash After Share Rally

November 9 2012: Another Legal Appeal Likely Against Lynas Decision

New Page: Lackluster Lynas Public Relations 2002-11

October 16 2012: Lynas - The Journey To Nowhere

October 15 2012: Lynas Corporation: The End Of The Road?

October 12 2012: Lynas Shares Plummet After Malaysian Delay

September 21 2012: Why we are protesting at Lynas Corporation's HQ in Sydney (Youtube)

September 19 2012: New twist in Lynas' plans in Malaysian plant (Youtube)

September 13 2012: First Weld War Looms - Malaysians Mobilise To Fight Lynas Plant

Press statement of Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) Strong public objection to Lynas getting theTemporary Operating Licence September 6th, 2012

SMSL is outraged that despite two impending judicial reviews at the Kuantan high court and an appeal case for judicial review in Putrajaya, the Government proceeded to issue the TOL to Lynas yesterday.

Mr Tan Bun Teet speaking on behalf of SMSL and angry local residents in Kuantan, “We are appalled by the Government’s action. The Government has lost the very last little bit of credibility left and may have acted in contempt of the court as a result.”

The AELB claimed in its press statement on its decision to issue the TOL that Lynas has fulfilled all of the technical and additional conditions set by the Government And that Lynas will remove the radioactive waste from Malaysia. However, no detail was provided on how Lynas has fulfilled these.

“Show us exactly how Lynas will remove its radioactive waste from Malaysia! How can the AELB expect us to accept this weak proposition when we know for a fact that Lynas has NO way of shipping its radioactive waste OUT of Malaysia legally?” Asked Ram Ponusamy a local resident who is concerned that the Lynas plant will ruin all that is nice about Kuantan.

The Western Australian Government has clarified several times in the state Parliament that it will NOT allowed Lynas waste to be returned to the state.

Trans-boundary transportation of hazardous waste is controlled by the Basel Convention http://www.basel.int/. It will be near impossible for Lynas to find a country willing to accept millions of tonnes of its waste and besides it will cost Lynas a LOT of money if it tries to do that.

Haji Ismail Abu Bakar, a local resident who took the Government to courtover the TOL expressed his strong objection to the Lynas project, “Rare earth processing is highly toxic and polluting. Even if miraculously Lynas managed to find a safe and acceptable solution for its solid radioactive waste, what about our air? What about our water?”

“Who would choose to live near a world-scale rare earth refinery? He added. Residents and concerned citizens could not accept that the Government has bent over backward to pave the way for a foreign firm that pays no tax to jeopardise an otherwise clean, beautiful and peaceful area with immense potential for tourism and a range of other businesses for local communities.

“We are now witnessing a government doing everything to ruin our future when its duty of care should be to prioritise citizens’ health, our investment and our environment. The Government has just sent a strong negative signal to the voters yesterday.” Ram commented.

The AELB has failed to manage the radioactive waste from the previous rare earth plant. AELB said ARE was safe then and it has left unknown amount of dangerously radioactive waste left unmanaged even till today. Now, the government has just repeated the same mistake.

“Lynas may think that with the TOL, it can do whatever it wants. We would like to assure concerned Malaysians that we will do whatever it takes to Stop Lynas – here in Malaysia, in Australia and in every corner of the world where Lynas hopes to conduct its business. This is an undertaking from SMSL.” Concluded Mr Tan.

September 6 2012: Lynas Wins Rare Earths Approval

August 22 2012: Anti-Lynas Malaysian 'Rap' Song Receives >1.2 million visits

August 10 2012: Malaysia Delays May Cause Balance Sheet Difficulties For Lynas

August 6 2012: Lamp Going Out For Lynas

(Who was the Lynas "bright spark" who decided to inflame the Malaysian Community by taking legal action against them for defamation?)

Some 'debatable' Lynas Quotes - particularly in light of recent legal action by Lynas against community groups opposing their rare earths processing facility - No wonder people in the photograph (below) attending an anti-Lynas Rally in Kuantan (Feb 2012), remain sceptical about this company's social and environmental legacy:

Malyasian Processing Facility already 10 months behind schedule (July 2012)

July 26 2012: Lynas Corporation Failed To Obtain Court Order To Stop Anti-Lynas Group

Press statement of Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) High Court Denies Lynas’ the Injunction to Gag SMSL July 27th, 2012

SMSL was pleased that the Kuala Lumpur high court has rejected Lynas’ second attempt to get a court injunction to gag SMSL yesterday. Over a hundred concerned citizens consisting of Kuantan residents, supporters from interstates and civil society organisation’s representatives congregated at the high court vicinity peacefully with placards and banner in a show of solidarity to express their outrage with the Lynas’ defamation action.

“It is heartening and encouraging seeing justice delivered at this juncture. We are relieved that our freedom of speech to voice our concerns with our own government in the interest of the public and the country is upheld through yesterday’s high court decision.” Lamented Mr Tan Bun Teet, a SMSL spokesperson, a Kuantan resident and a defendant named in the defamation suit.

“Here we are dealing with a world-scale rare earth plant at least ten times bigger than the one in Bukit Merah with hundreds more times hazardous waste. It has been built without any consultation with the public, with lax environmental safeguards and speedy approval processes. What more it is located in a swampy area so close to the sea and the population? We as informed citizens cannot simply sit back and do nothing” Continued Mr Tan.

The high court awarded a court cost of RM5,000 to SMSL against Lynas and the court will resume on 14th August to work out details of future trials and hearings.

The fair judgment delivered by Judge John Louis O’Hara is a much welcome gesture of hope for SMSL and concerned Malaysians who have fought hard to stop the Lynas rare earth project since it became widely known for the first time last March through a New York Times article.

Haji Ismail Abu Bakar, another defendant named in the Lynas suit and a Kuantan resident remarked, “many rakyat (citizens) who will be directly and most immediately put at risk once the Lynas plant starts to operate are at no liberty to speak out or to voice their concerns. We breathe a sign of small relief for now but we have a long way to go yet to keep our country safe and clean from toxic pollution.”

Last Thursday on the 19th, the court heard arguments from both Lynas and SMSL counsels. SMSL was represented by senior counsel Datuk Bastian who argued that SMSL acted in the interest of the public in issuing the open letter to the Prime Minister which Lynas alleged is defamatory.

“SMSL will brief its various expert witnesses in Malaysia and overseas in preparation for the trial. SMSL aims to use the trial to reveal information in its possession. We have independent opinions and assessments from various highly qualified professionals. We would like to inform the court and the public of the risks and hazards of the Lynas project to our communities, our livelihoods and the local economy as well as Malaysia as a whole.”

July 20 2012: SMSL to Fight ON - No decision Yet on Lynas’ Defamation Injunction

Yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur high court, Judge John Louis O’Hara set the judgment date for the defamation injunction application from Lynas to next Thursday 26th July. The court heard arguments from both Lynas and SMSL counsels. SMSL was represented by senior counsel Datuk Bastian who defended SMSL’s rights to raise issues of public interest.

Mr Tan Bun Teet, the spokesperson for SMSL and a defendant named in the Lynas writ commented, “In any democracy, citizens have the rights to voice out. Here we are dealing with the world’s biggest rare earth plant which was built without any consultation with the public, located in a swampy area so close to the sea and the population. We as informed and concerned citizens cannot simply sit back and do nothing.”

SMSL was joined by 90 concerned citizens, including one bus-load of very enthusiastic and committed supporters from the southern state of Johor. Many who attended the court hearing yesterday had been there for the third time in the last couple of months. They felt very strongly about Lynas attempting to gag citizens from raising issues of national and public interests.

“SMSL has been given a clear mandate by our members and supporters to fight Lynas till the end. This is a David and Goliath battle. We will take all appropriate steps to make sure that we pursue every possible avenue available to keep our country clean and safe for now and for the future.” Mr Tan concluded.

In a recent International Business Times (IBT) article, it was misreported that SMSL has apologised to the Lynas Corporation and has retracted a statement made about its rare earth refinery plant. Accessed athttp://au.ibtimes.com/articles/363755/20120717/malaysia-rare-earths.htm#.UAYv8dV0xVv

This news story is erroneous and factually incorrect because SMSL has made NO such apology or retraction. SMSL is determined to and will continue to defend the rights of citizens to free speech, to campaign for a clean and safe future for our family and our country.

For further comments, please contact: - Mr Tan Bun Teet, spokesperson for SMSL, Hp: +60 17 973 0576

July 2 2012: Lynas CEO Finds Social Media Hobbles Rare Earths Plans

June 21 2012: One Door Is Closed Others Have Opened

June 20 2012: Questions Over Rare Earth Stockpile

June 19 2012: Lynas Court Case Postponed

Care 2 Petition Site: Ban Rare Earth Exports

June 19 2012: MEDIA RELEASE

Lynas’ attempt to gag free speech in Malaysia NGOs in Australia are opposed to Australian rare earth miner, Lynas Corporation, gagging free speech in Malaysia.

Today, The Malaysian High Court has scheduled to hear the injunction application filed by Lynas against residents group Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL).

Thousands of Malaysians have come out in the past 15 months to protest against its rare earth processing plant in Malaysia. Lynas wants to export 33,000 tonnes per annum of rare earth concentrates from its mine through the port of Fremantle in Western Australia to the port of Kuantan in Malaysia to its hazardous, energy intensive and highly controversial processing plant, the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP).

Marcus Atkinson, campaigner, Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia said, “There is no way Lynas would be able to gag organisations in Australia from exercising their constitutional rights as citizens groups to highlight the risks and hazards of a particular development.” “Lynas has been very aggressive in pushing ahead with its controversial project against a growing tide of opposition. If the LAMP goes ahead it will leave behind millions of tonnes of hazardous radioactive waste in an area surrounded by peat mangrove swamp only 3.5 km from the South China Sea, a major fishing and recreational hot spot. It is totally un-Australian for Lynas to try to shut up Malaysian communities who are concerned about inheriting a polluted and radioactive future, losing their livelihood and clean living environment along the way!”

Lynas had earlier failed to seek an exparte court injunction to gag SMSL and Malaysian NGOs. It is now trying again through an inter-parte court injunction. Today, the court will decide on the injunction sought by Lynas.

Lee Tan, a Kuantan born Australian resident formerly the Asia-Pacific Campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation said,"Lynas' defamation suit against its critics in Malaysia goes to show the kind of company it really is - to take advantage of the less stringent environmental policy of Malaysia, to cash in on the overly generous 12-year tax holiday instead of paying taxes including the carbon tax in Australia, to ignore community's opposition to its rare earth plant and to push ahead with its plant despite not having a safe permanent solution for its millions of tonnes of hazardous radioactive waste"

Dr. Jim Green, national nuclear campaigner, Friends of the Earth Australia said, “Local communities have every right to voice their concerns against any development that poses the threats of radiation. Lynas should be adhering to Precautionary Principle and Free Prior and Informed Consent. If these two principles are not taken seriously then Lynas does not have the social licence to operate in Malaysia.”Whilst Rare Earth’s are required for a variety of “green” technologies including wind turbines and hybrid/electric cars both the extraction and processing of rare earths has significant environmental risks in its potential for the spread of radioactive material, heavy metals and toxic chemicals, as well as the acidification of watersheds.

Ms Tan said, "Lynas has no idea that it needs a social licence to operate. Its attempt to promote its products as green and sustainable will never match ethical consumer demand for a sound life cycle footprints for green products." SMSL and several bus-loads of supporters from different parts of Malaysia will converge outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court by 9.30am today to stage a peaceful action.

May 2 2012: Lynas Bid To Gag FMT Save Malaysia Stop Lynas Fails

April 28 2012: 80,000 People Demonstrate Against Malaysian Government In Kuala Lumpar

April 20 2012: Lynas Tour Trip Turns Out Restricted, Unrefined

April 20 2012: Lynas Awaits Go Ahead For Malaysia Plant

April 19 2012: Builder Of Rare Earth Plant In Malaysia Counters Complaints (New York Times)

"A person familiar with the project, who requested anonymity because of the controversy associated with it, said Wednesday that electrical wiring at the project had still not been completed. Part of the problem is that some components were ordered late and could not be manufactured quickly, the person said, although Lynas has denied that. It would be very difficult, although not impossible, to run the refinery while continuing to install further wiring. Tan Bun Teet, who is involved in the appeal to the minister and is the chairman of the lobbying group Save Malaysia Stop Lynas, said the government should withdraw the company’s license. “We will take court action if the minister does not revoke the license,” he said. " (NY Times April 19 2012)

April 17 2012: Contamination Likely At Rare Earth Plant

April 13 2012: Rare Earth And Radioactive Waste (New Report)

April 14 2012: Nationwide Protests Against Lynas Rare Earth Plant

April 6 2012: Lynas TOL On Hold Until Hearing

April 3 2012: Lynas Dramatically Enflame Tensions By Taking Defamation Against Save Malaysia Website and the article 'Civil Society Organisation Joint Statment On Lynas'

March 30 2012: Anti-Lynas Lobby Tells Putrajaya To Learn Lesson From Perak Death

March 30 2012: Perak Rare Earth Workers Son Dies Piles Pressure On Lynas

March 30 2012: Lynas Corporation For Dummies And Australians

March 21 2012: Political And Construction Holdups For Malaysia Rare Earths Plant (New York Times)

March 21 2012: Australia No Request From Lynas To Accept Waste

March 20 2012: Australia Did Not Reject Lynas Waste Says CEO

March 17 2012: Anti-Lynas Group To Hold Second Rally Eyes Going Nationwide

March 15 2012: Lynas To Send Waste To Australia If No Disposal Facility Found

March 11 2012 Press statement of Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) on Stop Lynas Protest in Sungai Lembing Against the Dumping of Lynas’ radioactive waste

This morning, hundreds of people braving the morning shower gathered at the inland resort town of Sungai Lembing to show their outrage at the latest proposal by the Director-General of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) Raja Datuk Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan and Pahang Menteri Besar Dato Seri Adnan Yaakub to dump radioactive waste in the disused mine shaft of the town.

Amongst those present were local residents and owners of local businesses who feared that the proposal will ruin the town’s economy and future.

Protestors holding placards shouted “Stop Lynas! Lynas Go BACK to Australia!”

Members of SMSL and a number of other groups were present to show their solidarity with the people of Sungai Lembing. “How many more communities will the Government destroy for the sake of helping a foreign company profit from an unsafe rare earth plant?” asked Haji Ismail Abu Bakar, Vice Chairperson of SMSL.

Sungai Lembing is the water catchment for Kuantan. Dumping radioactive waste in the disused mine shaft risks contaminating ground water in a limestone environment. The transportation of huge amount of radioactive waste through the highway, passing kampungs and towns will further spread Lynas’ toxic waste around.

Sungai Lembing is a former mining town which has suffered years of economic downturn and neglect since mining ceased in the 1980s. This pretty valley town has just managed to find a niche market in weekend tourism to turn around its years of economic depression and unemployment.

Haji Ismail continued, “The people of Sungai Lembing will suffer the same fate as the fishermen and the community along the coast. It is unacceptable and totally unjust to expect ordinary citizens to pay such high price while a foreign company gets to pollute our river, our sea and now our water supply and community tourism – ALL TAX FREE!”

The presence of a radioactive waste dump will essentially undermine investment and effort local people have put into the tourism trade. It will ruin their future and turn the busy tourist town into an abandoned town like Papan in Perak.

Papan is the nearest town to the permanent waste dump site of the now closed Mitsubishi Asian Rare Earth (ARE) toxic waste. ARE was closed by Mitsubishi due to the bad reputation it was getting for the increase cases of fatal cancer, birth defects and miscarriages in the surrounding area.

To date, the permanent waste dump is still facing problems for it has been leaking in the last 20 years and is still being rebuilt.

Haji Ismail concluded, “The AELB has failed to manage the radioactive waste from the previous rare earth plant. AELB said ARE was safe then. Now, the government has just granted another licence for a foreign corporation to pollute and contaminate our country at the expense of rakyat’s health and our livelihoods.”

For further comments, Haji Ismail Abu Bakar – Hp 019 953 0921

March 8 2012: Pahang MB Proposed Dumping Lynas

Location of Sungai Lembing (yellow dot), Kuantan (green dot). A distance of only 25-30km.

March 7 2012: Lynas To Send Waste Abroad

Feb 28 2012: Malaysian Fears Over Australian Rare Earths Plant

Feb 26 2012: Malaysians Protest Rare Earth Refinery (The Guardian UK)

Feb 26 2012: Australia’s Lynas Rare Earth Plant made history in Malaysia today - Nationwide rally to stop the project

Historical Day For Malaysia

An estimated 20,000 citizens together with Malaysian civil society organisations converged in Kuantan for a rally to protest against the Lynas project and to demand for a clean and safe future for Malaysia.The Stop Lynas campaign has escalated into the biggest ever environmental issue for the country. Participants arrived from all over the country including the east Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Today marks the beginning of a nation-wide campaign to stop the Lynas rare earth project. Malaysians have made our stand and we do not want this hazardous project in our shore.” Said Mr Wong Tack, a key organiser of today’s event.

The Lynas rare earth refinery project was constructed with a speedy approval process without any public consultation or a waste management plan. It was not until March 2011 when the New York Times reported that the world’s largest rare earth plant was being built in the Industrial estate of Gebeng near Kuantan that residents were jolted into action to start protesting against it.

Last May Responding to public pressure, the Malaysian Government requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to review the project. The IAEA made 11 recommendations to the Malaysian Government. The Government adopted all of the 11 recommendations which included a more extensive public consultation and a waste management plan to address the permanent disposal of the radioactive waste and plant closure issues.

However, despite not having a safe permanent waste disposal plan and on-going public protests where over one thousands submissions were made to the Government in response to Lynas’ application for a licence, the Government issued a temporary operating licence to Lynas in early February. This has sparked outrage amongst Malaysians which culminated in this morning’s historical rally.

Mrs Phua Seet Ping, a rally organiser said,

“We are peace loving citizens. I took part in this rally because I have two little children. Kuantan is a wonderful place to raise our children and I do NOT want Lynas to ruin that for my family.”

Malaysia has draconian laws which outlaw public actions. Yesterday, truck-loads of riot squat were paraded through the town to intimidate residents. The town council forced organisers of the rally to relocate it from the public field in the heart of the town to another further away in an attempt to hide the event from the general public’s view. These intimidations have done little to deter residents from coming out in force to show their strong opposition to the Lynas project.

Andansura, Chairperson of the Stop Lynas Coaltion was grateful and thankful for the strong presence of so many people.

He said, “I know many people living in villages close to the Lynas plant. They have been coerced into accepting the plant. They know the plant will pollute their fishing grounds but they are powerless to do much. Today, they know they are not alone in this struggle. It is heartening to see so many people.”

This is the first time ordinary people took to the street in such large numbers for an environmental issue in Malaysia. This is also the first time an environmental issue has gone national in such large-scale.

“Today’s turn out at the rally should show the Government of the day how strongly Malaysians feel about the Lynas plant and how far they will go to stop it. We comment the Government for not taking harsh actions against the protestors and we hope the Government will heed the people’s concerns by cancelling the licence. After all, it has a duty of care for its citizens and the natural environment over the vested interest of a foreign corporation!” Concluded Andan.

For further comments, please contact: Mr Andansura Rabu Tel: +60 179 868 969 Mrs Phua Seet Ping Tel: +60 129 223 780 Mr Wong Tack Tel: +60 138 851 232

February 23 2012: Unit To Check On Rare Earth Plant

February 23 2012: Lynas faces New Malaysia Challenge

February 23 2012: Himpunan Hijau Sees Red Over No Green Light

February 22 2012: Lynas Devil Waiting At Every Doorstep

February 22 2012: Lynas Faces Claim Against Malaysia Rare Earths Plant Licence

February 22 2012: Government Fails To Learn From Bkt Merah Tragedy

February 13 2012: Ire Over Lynas Sham Plant Consultation

February 2 2012: Malaysians Protest Against Australian Rare Earths Plant (AlJazeera Story on Youtube)

Press statement of the joint press conference Thursday, February 02, 2012 by Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL)

A change of Government is the ONLY Safe Solution for Malaysia!

SMSL was outraged and appalled by the announcement of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) yesterday to issue a pre-operational licence to Australia’s Lynas Corporation for its controversial Gebeng rare earth refinery plant.

Mr Tan Bun Teet, Chairperson of SMSL commented: “The approval given by the AELB totally ignored the concerns and comments provided by the public who took the trouble to wade through Lynas’ application. The public has submitted no less than a thousand comments and suggestions to AELB on the 26th. Merely 3 office working days later AELB has decided to give Lynas a temporary licence.”

“Has the AELB really understood the risks and hazards of this project? The public review was a total charade, a sham and a false pretense in public consultation. It is just another public relation exercise for the Lynas project.” Added Mr Tan.

In the AELB media statement, it is clear that NONE of the suggestions and objections raised by the public and independent experts in the field was adequately addressed!

“The AELB has failed abysmally as a regulator.” Mr Tan said.

SMSL will not hold back any more but will take all possible actions to Stop Lynas.”

The Lynas rare earth project known as Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) is ten times bigger than the now closed Asian Rare Earth project in Bukit Merah.

Rare earth processing has long been linked to devastating environmental pollution. The LAMP will be discharging huge amount of pollution in all streams – air, water and solid as disclosed in the two documents by Lynas. Each of the streams contains radioactive particles and a range of unknown hazardous substances yet to be declared by Lynas.

The plant is already posing problems as it is in a flood plain. Contaminated water will be certain to overflow into the surrounding area, into the Balok River and the sea which will affect the range of marine life.

Worst, it is located in an environmentally sensitive area next to an important mangrove area and the South China Sea. A significant proportion of Malaysian seafood is caught here. Tourism the other growing industry for Pahang is based on the pristine coastal ecosystem will be hit hard in the shadow of the world’s largest rare earth refinery.

In granting Lynas the licence, the AELB has totally ignored advice and recommendation made by Malaysia’s most qualified professionals - the Malaysian Medical Association and the Pahang Bar Association.

Dr Yu Siew Hong a local general practitioner and an active member of SMSL said, “There is no safe dose of radiation. The health of our people will be put at risk. The AELB has not learned from its mistake at Bukit Merah. The people will be outraged and they will do whatever it takes to stop this toxic project.”

SMSL has been taking a series of civil and fair action. Of the various stop Lynas groups, SMSL by far has engaged most extensively with the relevant authorities. The AELB approval is the last straw for SMSL.

“The government has left us no choice but to take legal action and to embark on a nation-wide public campaign to vote the Government out in the next general election. We want a safe and clean Malaysia for all. We cannot afford to let a Government which does not know its duty of care to bring hazards to our country.” Concluded Mr Tan.

SMSL has organized a public event on Saturday 4th of February from 5pm till 10 pm. WE call upon all concerned residents of Kuantan and the greater Kuantan to come to Teluk Cempedak beach to make a wish. We pledge with others to change the government to save our homeland. Kuantan is a beautiful town. We do not want to live in the shadow of the pollution of the world’s biggest rare earth refinery.

Let’s make a thousand wishes and each of us shall strive to work towards making our wishes come true!

SMSL volunteers will be present to guide you. Prepare your wishes and write them on a long strip of paper or cloth prior to coming to TC and they will help you attach it to the balloon. Let’s all work towards a better government that will adhere to the principles of democracy i.e. a government by the people; of the people and for the people !

For further comments, Mr Tan Bun Teet Hp: +6017 973 0576, Chairperson of SMSL and a local resident of Kuantan Dr Yu Siew Hong – Hp +6012 900 7785, a local doctor (GP) and a member of the Malaysian Medical Association

"Lynas expects a decision on the issuance of its temporary operating licence to be made when the AELB board meets next Monday. But AELB director general, Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan, has said that while Lynas will be on the agenda, the board may not reach a decision on the abovementioned date." Jan 26 2012

February 3 2012: Rare Earths Decision Big Boost For Lynas

February 2 2012: Lynas Gets Temporary Malaysian Operating License

January 31 2012: Rare Earth Metal Refinery Nears Approval In Malaysia

"Lynas announced last Tuesday that a heavy monsoon and some engineering work had delayed completion of the refinery again, and that it would be ready in the second quarter of this year ... One setback for the Lynas project is that a crucial contractor, AkzoNobel, pulled out this autumn, according to engineers here and internal company e-mails. The Dutch chemicals multinational had a contract to supply important resins ... Engineers involved in the project said, and internal e-mails showed, that AkzoNobel withdrew from supplying the chemicals after it was told that the fiberglass liners would be installed in concrete-walled tanks that have a problem with rising dampness in the floors and cracks in the walls. AkzoNobel had been in discussions about the problem of rising dampness, but only became aware of the cracks this autumn, according to the engineers and the memos ..."

January 31 2012: Malaysian Opposition Said Would Scrap Rare Earths Plan

January 31 2012: Lynas Warns On Any Move To Shut Rare Earths Plant

January 28 2012: Opponents Of Lynas To File Suit

January 27 2012: Fears Still Linger Over Lynas Plant

January 26 2012: Anti-Lynas Protest Against Licence Issuance

More Recent Images Can Be Viewed Here

Press statement of the joint press conference January 26, 2012

By Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) and Stop Lynas Coaltion(SLC) on Lynas Malaysia rare earth refinery application for pre-operation licence

Together with concerned citizens including representatives from the Pahang Bar Council and the Malaysian Medical Association who converged at the Pahang Secretariat Office, SMSL and SLC delivered a joint submission to MOSTI and the AELB urging the two authorities to reject Lynas’ application until a safer plan is produced.

Mr Tan Bun Teet, the Chairperson of SMSL lamented, “We are disappointed but not surprised by the very weak application presented by Lynas. Most worrying of all is that Lynas’ proposed waste management plan is full of holes and is totally unsafe. Under no circumstance should the Malaysian Government issues the licence.”

Lynas proposed to turn its waste into commercial gypsum and fertiliser enhancer. If accepted, this plan will result in hazardous and radioactive substances being scattered into residential houses, offices, farms and plantations.

“The Government must enforce its own law to make sure Lynas carry out a detailed environmental impact assessment. Given the high population density, a social impact assessment should also be carried out before considering any further application for licence by Lynas for the LAMP. Both of these documents when done should be easily accessible to the public with adequate time to comment and scrutinise.” Said Andansura Rabu the spokesperson and chairperson of the Stop Lynas Coalition and a resident of Balok, the town closest to the LAMP.

The towns and villages along the coast from Kuantan to Kemaman consist mainly of traditional fishing communities. Hundreds of families rely on the fishing industry for their livelihoods. Contaminated water from the Lynas plant will be discharged into the Balok River which drains into the South China Sea risking serious pollution of these important fishing grounds and tourism hotspots.

Tourism is a growing industry along the east coast. The prestigious world-class Club Med resort is only about 15km north of the LAMP. “If the Government issues the licence without a proper detailed EIA and a social impact study, the local economy and the health of citizens will be severely affected. Besides, who will want to holiday near a massive toxic plant and swim in the sea contaminated with rare earth pollution?” Added Mr Tan.

SMSL and SLC reiterated their stance to the Government that both groups will do everything possible to ensure there is a safe and clean future for Malaysia.

SMSL and SLC have raise funds from the public to explore legal avenues so that legal actions can be taken if Lynas is allowed to operate despite its unsafe waste management strategy.

“We hope the Government will seriously consider the comments and suggestions presented through the submissions. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to take the matter to the court.”

Concluded Mr Tan and Mr Rabu.

Thank You Very Much. "Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas !"

Jan 2012: Lynas retention/settlement ponds already close to full after monsoon rains. One decent monsoon event could see millions of litres of water wash off the site and into the Balok River. How many different toxicant contaminants could be released into the Malaysian environment? Poor choice of site location for such a risky project. Will Lynas investors foot the bill for the clean up or will the Malaysian taxpayer have to bail the company out when the inevitable happens?

Jan 2012: Lynas carpark on western side of site, already being inundated with potentially toxic water. This portion of the facility sits on a natural drainage line, draining in a westerly direction - eventually reaching the Balok River. Note the colour of the water covering the carpark. It's the same as what is being held in the retention/settlement ponds. This raises the next question. Are the retention pond walls strong enough to contain monsoon amounts of rainfall or are they already leaking? What will happen if a catastrophic breach occurs and millions of megalitres of water are released into the Balok River? This development already has all of the hallmarks of a disaster in the making. Another point to raise is, are the retention ponds connected to local groundwater? Rumour has it that groundwater can be detected one metre below the surface of the facility. If this is so, if the groundwater becomes polluted either through poor drainage of the facility or poor construction of retention ponds, what is the extent of the groundwater and where does it eventually flow to? An area far greater than the site could be impacted through polluted groundwater.

May 20 2011: Anti-Lynas 'Gathering' Kuala Lumpar Malaysia.

Photo taken early December 2011, after a couple of days of rain just outside of the Lynas plant - the flooded areas are discharge drains of the plant. The solid waste retention ponds which Lynas said are safe semi-permanent waste disposal units for its radioactive waste, are lined only with 1.6mm HDPE plastic sheet on top of a layer of so-called impermeable soil. Most of the contractors had no idea they were building a rare earth plant initially....! The monsoon has only just started.

More Images Can Be Viewed Here

January 23 2012: Rare Earths Miner Lynas on Trading Halt For Funding Deal

January 4 2012: Lynas May Wait Seven Months For Malaysian Rare Earth Licence

December 19 2011: China Blocks Rare Earth Exporter

December 12 2011: Filmmakers Ridicule Lynas Rare Earth Plans

November 30 2011: Lynas Chief Faces Protest Vote

November 30 2011: Lynas Annual General Meeting Protest

November 28 2011: Lynas Has Permit To Pollute Says Aussie Eco

November 16 2011: Lynas Faces Malawi Project Lawsuit

November 14 2011: Lynas Under Fire For Malawi Claim

November 11 2011: Legal Woes Move From Bad To Worse For Lynas

November 10 2011: Lynas In Midst Of Malawi Crisis

November 9 2011: Three Bids Later AELB Says Lynas Still Non-Compliant

November 8 2011: Lynas Jumping Gun Over Rare Earth Refinery Start Date

November 1 2011: Lynas Faces Delays But Still Bullish On Plant

October 20 2011: Permit Worries Send Lynas Back Down To Earth

September 24 2011: Lynas Back To Earth After Loss

September 23 2011: Lynas Shareholders Demand That Chairman Steps Down

September 6 2011: MEDIA RELEASE: Green Ban Called to Stop Lynas Rare Earth Exports Out of Western Australia

September 6 2011: Lynas Face Fierce Opposition To Rare Earths Export

August 18 2011: Race For Rare Earths (7.30 Report ABC Television Australia)

MEMORANDUM

Save Malaysia Committee

B-6 Taman Tunas Manja, Jalan Air Putih, 25300 Kuantan.

Pahang Darul Makmur.

Date: 20/05/2011

HIS EXCELLENCY AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO MALAYSIA KUALA LUMPUR Your Excellency RE: LYNAS ADVANCED MATERIAL PLANT (LAMP) NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN GEBENG, KUANTAN , MALAYSIA. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We the residents of Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia are extremely concerned over the proposed construction and operation of the above plant.

It is common knowledge that : 1) LAMP will be processing rare earths oxide which contains Thorium 2) Thorium is a known radioactive material. 3) The mineral monazite which contains the Thorium is mined at Mount Weld in Western Australia and will be shipped to Kuantan, through Freemantle Port for processing at LAMP.

As your country is the originator of this dangerous material it is only right that your country must take responsibility for its presence here in this country.

We are not convinced by the assurances of LAMP, (and others allied to their cause), that the LAMP is safe. If it truly were so, surely then your country should readily keep that industry within its borders, or at the very least, be prepared to take back the waste ( which contains the deadly thorium). But your country has flatly refused to take back their own waste. Source The Star: 12/04/2011, Pg. N.23

Malaysians have had experience with Thorium, in the Bukit Merah plant in Ipoh, Perak. The consequences of that fiasco are still continuing. Children born deformed or retarded are still alive but unable to articulate their plight while some have lost their lives to cancer.

LAMP claims that their plant is totally different from that of Bukit Merah facility and that the levels of radioactivity is very low. But we remain unconvinced, nor are we prepared to experiment with our health and lives and those of our future generations.

We the residents of Kuantan, appeal to your higher values and call upon you , to do all that you can, to stop the shipment of this Thorium containing material from your country.

Surely, your country being a respectable member of the international community would not allow an International Convention to be flouted or circumvented.

Your Excellency, we the people of Kuantan do not want, in our midst LAMP and for that matter any other company that produces any form of radioactive material.

Your Excellency, does it not seem unconscionable to you that ore containing this radioactive material should be shipped 4000km from your country to Malaysia for the monetary gain of LAMP while the people of Kuantan are left to face the long term effects of the obnoxious waste? This Thorium waste, as your Excellency would already know, is radioactive and has a ½ life of 14 billion years. Thus, for generations to come , we the people of Malaysia will be exposed to the risks of radioactive contaminations.

Your Excellency, this Movement, is inspired by the most lofty ideals- that of human lives and health. We are resolved to continue our struggle to safeguard our air, water and soil from LAMP’s (and others’) deadly wastes. The vast majority of Malaysians share our mission. We again exhort you, to do all that you can, within your power to stop the dangerous ore from leaving your own shores.

We trust you understand and share our concerns. Many Australians in fact, already do, as the Internet reveals.

Mr Robin Chapple, MLC, Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region is “deeply worried” as expressed in his media release dated 13/04/2011.

I annex a copy of the release downloaded from the internet, for your further reading.

I trust that you will act as a good citizen of the world, and of Australia in particular.

Yours sincerely, …………………………………………………………………

Vincent Jiam (Hand phone: 016 931 8081)

Chairperson, Save Malaysia Committee

Rare Earth Miners

May 30 2011: Lynas Corp Assessed For Radioactive Leaks

May 28 2011: Rare Earth Gold Rush Extracts A Price

May 28 2011: Handphones Riskier Than Lynas Ore Says Pahang MB

May 26 2011: Malaysian Medical Association Concern

May 25 2011: Economists Sceptical Of Lynas Plant Multiplier Effect

May 24 2011: Lynas Says Paid Putrajaya For Toxic Waste Cover

May 21 2011: Future Of Lynas Rare Earth Factory In Pahang Hinges On IAEA Findings

May 21 2011: Australian Miner Targeted in Malaysian Protest

May 20 2011: Anti-Lynas 'Gathering' Kuala Lumpar Malaysia.

May 21 2011: Malaysians Protest Against Lynas' Plant

May 20 2011: Australian Hands Are Tied On Lynas

May 20 2011: 200 Protest Lynas Plant At Australian Embassy

May 20 2011: Malaysians Protest Against Australian Refinery

May 20 2011: Proposed Aust rare earths refinery stirs emotions in Malaysia

May 19 2011: Leaving Behind A Toxic Legacy For Decades

May 19 2011: Lynas Must Reveal Details Of Malaysian Rare Earths Facility

May 16 2011: First Ore Feed Milestone For Lynas

May 16 2011: Malaysia Announced Lynas Plant Review

May 16 2011: Lynas Shareholders Eye Bid For Deposit Report

May 15 2011: Four Arrested After Protest Against Lynas Project

May 14 2011: Lynas Refinery Review

May 14 2011: Less Rhetoric, More Clarity Please

And so, when Nick Curtis says he thinks there are “local political purposes” who have “sought to join the dots of the drama in Japan ... and fear in local community,” he may come across as underestimating the very reach of Japan's nuclear fallout and perhaps, a tad dismissive of the public's concerns over the potential environmental and social risks of having a rare earths facility in one's backyard. If such facilities are safe and brings enormous economic benefits to a country, then why is it that China controls over 90% of the world's supply of rare earth elements?

May 13 2011: Fresh Protests As Focus Turns To Lynas Radioactive Dump

May 13 2011: Outcry Over Aust Rare Earths Refinery in Malaysia

May 12 2011: Rare Earth Radiation Level Lower Than Bitumen Says Adnan

May 12 2011: ABC Newsline Take Up Issue

May 12 2011: Lynas Walks Away From Forge Deal

“Lynas said it decided to walk away from the deal after its independent directors consulted with the miners institutional shareholders. The shareholders were worried that the profile the sale had attracted was distracting management from focussing on developing its core Mount Weld rare earths deposit... Forge shares crashed, losing almost half their value to close at 48c yesterday. Lynas will reimburse Forge $600,000 to cover third-party costs incurred..."

May 11 2011: Police Warn Of Stern Action Against Trouble Makers In Protest Against Plant

"Police warned today that stern action will be taken against anyone trying to create chaos from the protest against the building of a rare earth plant in the Gebeng industrial area here."

May 11 2011: Lynas Corporation granted licences to operate Mount Weld Concentration Plant

Lynas Corporation has taken another step forward at the Mount Weld Concentration Plant. Licences have been granted by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum, and the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. With the completion of the regulatory requirements, the result is that the first feed of ore into the plant will occur within a week.

May 6 2011: Lynas Shares Soar As Rare Eaths Continue To Shine

May 3 2011: Rare Earth Prices Soar As Efforts To Increase Supplies Falters

May 2 2011: Lynas Raises $20m For Development Of Rare Earth Projects

Lynas Corporation (ASX: LYC, OTC: LYSDY) has raised A$20 million through issuing 9,756,324 shares at $2.05 per share via an oversubscribed share purchase plan (SPP). The SPP was underwritten by J.P. Morgan Australia Limited and the new shares will be allotted under the SPP on 3 May 2011. The funds will be used for additional expenditure including preliminary work on the Kangankunde Deposit in Malawi, the purchase of additional equipment and first fill chemicals for the Lynas Advanced Material Plant in Malaysia and general working capital for the company. Lynas received applications for about A$58.9 million worth of new fully paid ordinary shares. All eligible shareholders who applied for shares will receive about 828 new shares.

On March 31 Lynas finalised a US$325 million (A$325 million) financing package with Japan's Sojitz Corporation (2768.T) to fast track a phase-two expansion of its rare earths project at Mount Weld. Lynas owns the richest known deposit of Rare Earths, also known as Lanthanides, in the world at Mount Weld, near Laverton in Western Australia. Lynas will concentrate the ore mined at Mount Weld in a Concentration Plant approximately 1.5km from the mine. The concentrate produced by the Concentration Plant will be shipped in sea containers and transported by road and ship to the east coast of Malaysia to the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP), Malaysia, to process the Mount Weld concentrate through to separated Rare Earths products.

1/5/11: He said recent publicity - about the controversial sale of part of Mt Weld to Forge Resources and the Malaysian environmental review - were distractions to the main game of bringing production on line at a time of higher spot prices for REE. http://www.topstocks.com.au/stock_discussion_forum.php?action=show_thread&threadid=652635#p652635

April 29 2011: Accusations of Insider Trading Dog A Darling Of the Bright Young Set

"The Herald has learnt the corporate regulator is treating an investigation of Mr Curtis 25, on insider trading suspicions raised by a court judgement, as a priority matter....Hartman was jailed for making $1.9 million in illegal profits by using information about the sharetrading of his former employer, Orion Asset Management. But Hartman's insider trading sentence included an extra 18 months for confessions related to the insider trading offence of "tipping" Mr Curtis. Mr Curtis, as recipient of those tips, has faced no visible action by ASIC. ASIC's interest is understood to be based on the extent of misconduct by Hartman and Mr Curtis revealed in the sentencing of Hartman. Hartman's voluntary confession also put the onus on ASIC to pursue further inquiries."

April 28 2011: Lynas Takes Hit On Delay Fears

Lynas executive chairman Nicholas Curtis is non-executive chairman of Forge and a 15 per cent shareholder of Forge. He stands to get 24 million performance shares in Forge - worth close to $30 million at current share prices - if the deal succeeds.

April 28 2011: Lynas Says Too Soon To Discuss Malawi Ore

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Dogged by controversial reports, Lynas Corp said it was too early to talk about the radioactive content of its newly-bought rare earths mine in Malawi or whether it will be shipped to its RM700 million refinery in Pahang for processing. “Lynas finalised the acquisition of the Kangankunde Carbonatite Complex (KGK) deposit less than two months ago,” it said in a media statement yesterday...Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has asked Putrajaya and Lynas to reveal if the Australian miner will refine uranium-bearing rare earth ore mined from Malawi in Pahang’s Gebeng industrial area. The Sydney-based company was silent when asked to confirm news the Malawian rare earths deposit was rich in uranium, a highly radioactive material used in nuclear power production.In its company report dated September 6, 2007, Lynas Corp announced it had bought the KGK deposit in Malawi for US$4 million (RM12 million), where it hopes to produce at least 5,000 tonnes of rare earths a year.Lynas said KGK samples have an average of 11 parts per million (ppm) thorium oxide per percentage of rare earths oxide (REO) content.In comparison, ore from its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia has an average of 44ppm thorium oxide per percentage of REO content.

April 27 2011: Linus Signs Supply Deal For Malaysian Plant

"Rare-earths miner Lynas Corporation Ltd has signed a long-term supply deal with an unnamed customer for rare earths from its advanced materials plant in the central Malaysian state of Pahang."

April 27 2011: Anti-Lynas Lobby Wants Say In Review Panel Pick

April 27 2011: Lynas Shares Retreat On Malaysian Plant Delay Worries

April 27 2011: Lynas Delays Meeting On Forge Deal

On March 16, Lynas struck a $20.7 million deal with fellow explorer Forge Resources to develop two of its assets, with Forge sub-leasing the Crown Rare Metals and Swan Phosphate deposits in central Western Australia...The two companies share a chairman in Nicholas Curtis...Lynas also said today it had signed a long term supply agreement with "a major rare earths consumer" for the supply of Mount Weld Rare Earths from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Malaysia.

April 26 2011: Protests Threaten Lynas's Malaysian Rare Earths Plant

Strong local opposition to the plant forced the government to take action, with angry protesters calling for construction of the refinery to cease.

April 26 2011: Lynas-Forge Deal Raises Issues Of Disclosure

FORGE Resources appears to have suffered an unexplained delay in calling a meeting of shareholders to approve controversial resolutions that would enable the company to sublease potentially highly valuable rare metals and phosphate deposits from the rare-earths company Lynas Corporation. The proposal has aroused controversy for a number of reasons, including that Lynas estimates that development of the deposits would cost more than $US1 billion yet Forge is a minnow, and the deal would deliver shares worth between $25 million and $30m to Nic Curtis, who is the non-executive chairman of Forge and also the executive chairman of Lynas. It would also make Curtis the largest Forge shareholder with more than 36 per cent of the capital. The proposed transaction raises questions of conflict of interest.

The proposal needs the approval of both the Lynas and Forge shareholders. Lynas has already called a meeting and claimed that Forge had convened a meeting for May 18 and a copy of the notice of meeting was available from the ASX. However, there has as yet been no disclosure by the ASX of the notice of meeting. What has happened is that Forge lodged the notice and explanatory memorandum with the corporate regulator ASIC on April 15 but is yet to lodge it with the ASX and dispatch it to shareholders. That suggests ASIC may have raised some issues with Forge, perhaps relating to the adequacy of disclosure in the documentation. One glaring omission is that the document does not spell out that Curtis stands to receive a benefit of close to $30m and would become the major shareholder. It merely says that if the transaction with Lynas proceeds as planned the performance shares would convert into ordinary shares. Shareholders have to turn to the fine print in the glossary to find that the performance shares were issued to Curtis.

Lynas, by contrast, noted the value of the performance shares in the explanatory memorandum for its shareholder's meeting. Under the agreement with Lynas, Forge must pay Lynas $20.7m, issue Lynas with 7 million options over Forge shares and make a capital raising of at least $30m...Forge's adviser, Riverstone, of which Curtis and another Forge director Harry Wang are directors, will receive a monthly retainer of $30,000 a $500,000 success fee for a $30m raising, 2.25 per cent of all funds raised for Forge and 500,000 Forge options. Forge contends the agreement with Riverstone was negotiated on an arm's length basis and approval is therefore not being sought under the related-party provisions of the Corporations Act.

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/OpinionNews/pg/0/fi300820.htm

April 25 2011: ASIC Concerns Delay Lynas Deal

April 25 2011: Continental Minerals/Riverstone Advisory

Riverstone Advisory (formerly known as Sino Resources Capital Pty Ltd) and Blake, Cassells & Graydon LLP are the financial and legal advisors to Jinchuan respectively in respect of the Arrangement.

Continental is pushing the Xietongmen copper-gold deposit located in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of Tibet.

April 23 2011: Environmentalists Want Lynas Review Panel Open To Public Scrutiny

April 22 2011: Lynas Waste Safe To Scatter Everywhere

April 18 2011: Rough Justice When ASIC Does Insider Trading By Halves

April 18 2011: Lynas Cops Heat From Protesters Shareholders Over Malay Refinery Plans

April 18 2011: Lynas Insists Rare Earth Ore Not Dangerous

Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh had cited an Australian parliamentary report which said the main source of thorium — the radioactive element found in virtually all rare earth deposits — there comes from monazite ore, which contains 8 to 10 per cent thorium. In a statement sent to The Malaysian Insider today, Lynas said the mineral it will source from its mine in Mount Weld will only have 0.17 per cent of thorium.

April 18 2011: Legal Action Threat Rises Over Lynas Sale

April 18 2011: Lynas Facing Legal Action Over Sale

April 18 2011: Lynas Cannot Store Waste Onsite Says AELB

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Malaysian regulators have denied approving Lynas Corp’s plans to store radioactive waste in its Kuantan rare earth plant indefinitely, insisting the Australian miner will not be allowed to keep the thousands of tonnes it still deems as safe.“Storage onsite will never be a final solution,” regulator Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) director-general Raja Datuk Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan told The Malaysian Insider. He said in an interview that the approved storage area in the plant was only meant to facilitate the refining process as a “temporary area to hold the waste.”...Local residents and environmentalists have countered Lynas’ claims that its raw material has only two per cent of the thorium as Malaysia’s last rare earth project in Bukit Merah, stating that the waste would build up over time, especially as it was reported that Lynas would process 10 times as much ore as the Asian Rare Earth (ARE) plant.

April 16 2011: Not Just Another Crackdown

"And now the dogs are beginning to growl over plans by the Lynas Corp boss Nick Curtis to hive off a bit of the prized Mt Weld rare earths deposit into a vehicle called Forge Resources...And they will be asked next month to vote on an apparently trifling transaction: to sell the Crown polymetallic metals and heavy rare earths resource to Forge for $21 million cash...The rationale for the sale is that Crown is "non core" to Lynas's plan to dominate production of rare earths outside China. So a few million in the kitty today is better than nothing. But it was only in February 2007 (corporate presentation slide 29) that Lynas was boasting of Crown's $50 billion worth of polymetallic metal in the ground. Crown could become the company's next major project. Since then, as official mentions of Crown have become fewer and fewer, rare earths prices have risen 570 per cent. Privately, it seems Nick Curtis may still be a true believer. He already has a foot on 15 per cent of Forge, a stake that should grow to 36 per cent worth $30 million were his performance shares to vest as a reward for finding Crown for Forge, and completing a capital raising. And Nick Curtis isn't the only member of the old Lynas crew who still hankers after Crown.

Lynas shareholders haven't heard much from former executive director Harry Wang since he stepped off the board in 2006. But Wang has been a key player on the sidelines. In 2009 he slung together a proposed Chinese investment that would have seen CNMC buy a 52 per cent stake in Lynas at 36 cents a share. Curtis backed the deal, though shareholders weren't enamoured of it and it didn't pass muster with the Foreign Investment Review Board. FIRB's desire to keep the Chinese controlling Australia's richest supply of rare earths has been vindicated since as the press on China's control over the global rare earths market has become almost hysterical. Rare earths aren't as rare as they sound, only in large, easily-mineable deposits. Now Harry Wang and Nick Curtis are back together working for Forge on the acquisition, not just as directors on the Forge board but also as the principals of Riverstone Advisory. Riverstone is better known as Sino Resources. It changed its name a few weeks ago and is the corporate adviser to Forge. It is for shareholders to work out whether Curtis, Wang and the Forge crew are trying to pick up Crown for a ridiculously low price. In light of Lynas's own statements it looks it looks like a once-in-a-lifetime bargain. Then again, "independent expert" Grant Samuel has given the deal the thumbs up - declaring it "fair and reasonable" for Lynas shareholders.

The expert earned no less than $400,000 for this piece of work. And that was without even building a discounted cash flow model. The project costs and revenues were too hard to judge. The primary valuation methodology instead has been to go back and look at what Lynas paid for Mt Weld in 2003 - no more than $22.6 million. Crown is only a small part of Mt Weld. Forge is forking out nearly as much for Crown as Lynas paid for the whole project. This was enough to convince Grant Samuel that the price was fair....The market is now pricing Mt Weld at more than $3 billion..."

April 15 2011: Aussie Parliament Contradicts Lynas Low Radiation Claim Says Fuziah

Citing an Australian parliamentary report, the Kuantan MP said that the Australian miner’s Kuantan plant will produce up to 2,200 tonnes of radioactive waste per year.Fuziah (picture) said the report shows that the main source of thorium — the radioactive element found in virtually all rare earth deposits — in Australia comes from monazite ore, which contains 8 to 10 per cent thorium.Lynas claims that its ore contains just 0.16 per cent thorium as it is unique and so far found in only three locations around the world...In a statement today, Fuziah said that as Lynas targets production of 22,000 tonnes of rare earth per year, it would be producing between 1,760 and 2,200 tonnes of thorium in Gebeng. She said that by comparison the amang (tin tailings) used in Bukit Merah had just 6 per cent thorium. Reports also state that Lynas will process 10 times the ore that ARE did.

April 13 2011: D-G: No Licence Application From Lynas (Malaysia)

April 12 2011: Rare Earths Refinery Benefits Kuantan Says Lynas

Curtis also insisted that the amount of thorium - the radioactive element found in virtually all rare earth deposits - that will be released from the factory would result in “zero public exposure” due to specialised storage dams it is constructing onsite. Studies say radiation is linked to diseases such as to cancer and congenital birth defects, fears of which has led environmentalists and local residents to protest against the project. They have compared the plant being built by Lynas to the Asian Rare Earth (ARE) plant in Bukit Merah that eventually closed down in 1992 after sustained public protests. Nearly two decades later, the plant is still undergoing a RM303 million cleanup exercise and has been linked to at least eight cases of leukemia, with seven resulting in death.

April 12 2011: Lynas Will Start Kuantan Plant Radioactive Waste Onsite

Local residents and environmentalists have countered Lynas’ claims that its raw material has only two per cent of the thorium — the radioactive element found in virtually all rare earth deposits — by arguing that the waste would build up over time, especially as it was reported that it would process 10 times as much ore as the Bukit Merah refinery. “The waste is a sitting time bomb,” Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia (EPSM) president Nithi Nesadurai had said. Curtis however, said that special storage dams that can hold six years of waste have been built that will cause “zero exposure” to the public.“Two thirds or more is gypsum. There is no issue with respect to it being used as plasterboard and other markets. Malaysia is a net importer of gypsum so we will use it in commercial quantities for sure. This increases our storage (for the radioactie waste) to 24 years,” he explained.Lynas plans to process the iron-bound thorium into a concrete with a thorium concentration of less than 500 parts per million (ppm) for further industrial use but admitted to not having a commercial application yet. “It’s not that Lynas does not have the solution. The solution (storage dams) has been agreed. Now Lynas is going beyond the standards,” he said in the interview, where he stressed repeatedly that Malaysia’s last rare earth project, in Bukit Merah, should never have gone ahead...As it plans to ramp up production to 22,000 tonnes per year of the material that is crucial to high-technology applications such as smartphones, hybrid cars and even bombs, it will mean producing about 120 tonnes of thorium per year.

April 11 2011: Australian State Rejects Lynas Waste From Malaysia

April 7 2011: Lynas Corporation Gains FIRB Approval For Sojitz Investment In Mount Weld Rare Earths Project 15315.html

April 4 2011: Malaysians Getting Organised to Stop Lynas Operation in Malaysia

March 31 2011: Lynas Corporation And Sojitz In Landmark Deal To Fast Track Mount Weld Rare Earths Project

March 31 2011: Lynas Shares Gain 3% Over Japanese Deal "The agreements also include the allocation of a minimum of 8,500 tonnes per annum of rare earths products to the Japanese market over 10 years, and the joint marketing and distribution of these products. Of the $US325 million to be raised, $US250 million will be used to accelerate the expansion of Lynas' rare earths project in Western Australia to phase two. Regarding the completion of the institutional placement, Lynas said there was strong demand from new and existing Australian and international institutional investors for the shares. The money will be used to fund additional expenditure including preliminary work on the Kangankunde Deposit in Malawi, the purchase of additional equipment, first fill chemicals for the Gebeng plant in Malaysia and general working capital."

March 28 2011: Lynas To Send Top Guns To Ground Over Radiation Fears

March 24 2011: Forging The Deal

AFTER The Age went to press on Tuesday, Kevin Hobgood-Brown, of Riverstone Advisory, who has been guiding the board of Forge Resources in its deal with Lynas Corporation, rang from Beijing. He clarified a couple of points about the structure of the deal, one being that the timing of the adoption of the Riverstone name was coincidental to the mining tenements deal. It had, he said, been done because Sino Resources Capital wanted to distance itself from some market perceptions that it was one of the many arms of the Chinese state. Look out for a rebranding exercise in the next couple of weeks.

March 16 2011: Lynas Signs Master Agreement With Forge Resources

Rare earths play Lynas Corp has offloaded non-core assets to Forge Resources in a related-party deal that could see Lynas’s shareholders emerge with almost 15 per cent of Forge...Lynas, which is developing the Mount Weld rare earths project in Western Australia, one of the richest known deposits in the world, said today it had agreed to grant Forge sub-leases over the Swan Deposit and the Crown Deposit at Mt Weld and any minerals from them. Under the deal, Lynas will receive $20.7 million cash, options to acquire 7m Forge shares and royalties over minerals from the sub-leases. In late trade, shares in Lynas jumped almost 5 per cent to $1.84. Lynas shares have been on the up since December when China – which supplies more than 90 per cent of rare earths to the world – again cut its exports of rare earths, giving it a market value of $3.1 billion. If you don’t know, China controls about 95% of the global rare earth market…"

March 16 2011: Thorium: Rare Earth Liability or Asset?

March 11 2011: New Push to Recycle Rare Earth Minerals

December 16 2010: Hitachi Develops Recycling Technologies For Rare Earth Metals

December 8 2010: Japan Boosts Recycling To Ease China Squeeze

December 6 2010: John Hartman From Insider Trading To The Hard Cell

December 4 2010: The Young Gun Whose Trades Led To Jail

October 30 2010: After China's Rare Earth Embargo, A New Calculus

"Across China, rare earth mines have scarred valleys by stripping topsoil and pumping thousands of gallons of acid into streambeds. The environmental costs are palpable here in Baotou, a smoggy mining and steel city in China’s Inner Mongolia, where the air this week had an acrid, faintly metallic taste. Half of the global supply of rare earths comes from a single iron ore mine in the hills north of Baotou. After the iron is removed, the ore is processed at weather-beaten refineries in Baotou’s western outskirts to extract the rare earths minerals. The refineries and the iron ore processing mill pump their waste into an artificial lake here. The reservoir, four square miles and surrounded by an earthen embankment four stories high, holds a dark gray, slightly radioactive sludge laced with toxic chemical compounds. The deadly lake is not far from the Yellow River watershed that supplies drinking water to much of northern China. The reservoir covers an area 100 times the size of the alumina factory waste pond that collapsed this month in Hungary, inundating villages there and killing at least nine people."

October 7 2010: Japanese Recycling Weakens China's Rare Earth Stranglehold

August 23 2010: Lynas Corporation Lands On Northern Uranium Share Register

{shares purchased on 19 August 2010}. The share purchases provide Lynas with a key 9.44% substantial stake in Northern Uranium.Interestingly, on 9 August, 2010 Northern Uranium announced it had signed a binding letter of intent with Jiangsu Eastern China Non-Ferrous Metals Investment Holding Co., Ltd, an affiliate of East China Exploration & Development. Subject to approval from Northern Uranium shareholders, ECE will invest about A$15.7m in Northern Uranium at a share subscription price of A$0.145 per share. [This agreement was terminated on October 2010 - Anyway, it looks as if we can breathe a sigh of relief. Since then we've had rare earths leader Lynas Corp (LYC) snap up 9.44 per cent of NTU in a move which was seen as the first step to blocking the Chinese, and now Northern Uranium has decided to put the Chinese proposal on hold and, instead, deal its own shareholders back into the mix with a $6.6 million rights issue.].

Northern Uranium owns the Browns Range Rare Earths project which previously formed part of the Gardiner-Tanami Project, but since 2009 has become a focus for the company’s rare earth element (REE) exploration program. The project consists of two granted exploration licenses and one tenement application. The tenements cover an area of 400 km2 within Western Australia, located adjacent to the WA/NT border approximately 150 km southeast of Halls Creek. Results achieved to date by Northern Uranium at its heavy rare earths project would not have escaped Lynas.

July 9 2010: Lynas Corporation To Benefit From China Cuts To Rare Earths

April 20 2010: Lynas Corp Completes Baseline Estimate For Malaysian Kiln

September 25 2009: Lynas Still In Trading Halt After Deal Collapse

September 24 2009: Lynas $500m China Deal Collapses

August 31 2009: China Tightening Control of Rare Earth Minerals

February 20 2008: Lyons Confirms Malaysian Base For Western Australian Rare Earths Project

"...After exacting studies from the late 1990s through to 2005, Lynas decided the economics of developing a rare earths recovery plant were far cheaper in Malaysia than the original concept in Western Australia, not just based on financial issues but also by moving the processing closer to the global markets...Rare earths is the term given to 15 metallic elements known as the lanthanide series, plus yttrium. They play a key role in green environmental products, from energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to hybrid cars, automotive catalytic converters and wind turbine generators. They are also essential in the development and manufacturing of many modern technological products, from hard disc drives to flat panel displays, iPods and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans."

Rare Earths

From mine to wind turbine: the rare earth cycle

"In 2006, nearly all of the world’s roughly 137,000-ton supply of rare-earth oxides came from China."

Source (Clean Energy's Dirty Little Secret http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/clean-energy-apos-s-dirty-little-secret/7377/)

Are Rare Earth Minerals Too Costly For The Environment?