greens objections

Dont hold LYC but thought this would be of interest to those that do...

Carles calls for Government to come clean on Lynas
 
2 February 2012
 
Fremantle Independent MP Adele Carles is calling on the State Government to immediately come clean about its dealings with Lynas and the proposal to export Rare Earths on trucks from the Laverton mine site through the Fremantle Port.
 
The initial deal was for Lynas to transport its product on rail via Esperance.  “Who agreed to change the Port from Esperance to Fremantle and on what basis?” queries Ms Carles.  “Fremantle Port is not the appropriate Port for Lynas.  It was never designed for modern bulk mineral export activity and there is no buffer zone to residential areas” Ms Carles says.
 
“This product will be in unmarked trucks on our suburban Perth streets, yet as soon as it reaches Malaysia, it must be marked as ‘radioactive material’”   says Ms Carles.
 
Thousands of Malaysian people have protested about this plan and the Atomic licencing board has now flagged returning the radioactive waste to “the original source” ie Western Australia.   “What is the Government’s plan for the return of radioactive waste to WA?  Is this to come through Fremantle too?” asks Ms Carles.
 
“Secrecy has shrouded this project from the outset and the public has a right to know what is going on” says Ms Carles.  Ms Carles recently queried the Lynas consultation process in Parliament, with Bill Marmion confirming that there has been no public consultation on this plan and that there is no right of appeal.
 
“Lynas is hiding behind the veil of ‘commercial in confidence’ to avoid releasing the updated Radiation Management Plan to the public” says Ms Carles, whose recent request for the latest plan has been ignored by Lynas.  
 
Lynas Corporation intends exporting 33,000 tonnes per annum of Rare Earth concentrate from its Mount Weld mine near Laverton, by trucking it to Fremantle and then shipping it to the town of Kuantan on the east coast of Malaysia for refining.
The mine is expected to operate for at least 20 years.  The Rare Earth ores are higher in radioactivity than normal soils and typically contain low levels of radioactive elements thorium and uranium.