["KUANTAN, Malaysia — A $230 million refinery being built here in an effort to break China’s global chokehold on rare earth metals is plagued by environmentally hazardous construction and design problems, according to internal memos and current and former engineers on the project."]
[Nicholas Curtis, the executive chairman of Lynas, strongly denied at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that the refinery had any construction problems. He said that there were no more than routine discussions among engineers about technical questions.
But the construction and design may have serious flaws, according to the engineers, who also provided memos, e-mail messages and photos from Lynas and its contractors. The engineers said they felt a professional duty to voice their safety concerns, but insisted on anonymity to avoid the risk of becoming industry outcasts.
The problems they detail include structural cracks, air pockets and leaks in many of the concrete shells for 70 containment tanks, some of which are larger than double-decker buses. Ore mined deep in the Australian desert and shipped to Malaysia would be mixed with powerful acids to make a slightly radioactive slurry that would be pumped through the tanks, with operating temperatures of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The engineers also say that almost all of the steel piping ordered for the plant is made from standard steel, which they describe as not suited for the corrosive, abrasive slurry. Rare earth refineries in other countries make heavy use of costlier stainless steel or steel piping with ceramic or rubber liners.]
why were these engineers concerns effectively ignored? - they obviously knew what they were talking about
why has lynas management offered no acceptable response or details as to the extent of the problem?
imo, why has lynas breached continious disclosure?
and then from: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2011/06/30/nyt-claims-untrue-says-lynas/
“Every piece used is engineered for safety,” Curtis said. “To say that we’ve used poor materials is factually incorrect.”
um, wouldn't it strike you that you can take your car for a warrant of fitness and it can pass, but that doesn't mean that it is up to, or anywhere near, the standard of Formula One racing.
if someone can not connect two huge dots together, seeing how A would affect B (as advised by engineers), then they don't deserve to be involved in managing even the construction of an outhouse.
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