KUANTAN: Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob says the radiation level emitted from the soon-to-be completed Lynas Corporation’s rare earth refinery project will be far lower than the bitumen used to resurface roads.
“The bitumen used to make roads emit a radiation measurement of 2.6 mSv (millisieverts) while the rare earth processed by Lynas emit 0.156 mSv.

“It is not dangerous,” he said.

Adnan, who will personally handle the public briefings on Lynas after the international independent panel establishes its findings on the project, said it would be better for the public to be well-informed about the issue and avoid listening to slander spread by detractors.

“The Government will abide by the people’s wishes but they need to be guided by the right information and people,” he added.

He also said the detractors appeared to have the edge now in the “battle of perception” but it would not be long before the truth prevailed.

According to facts issued by Lynas, the raw material from Mount Weld in Australia was not the same as that processed at Bukit Merah.

The Asian Rare Earth raw material was tin mining tailings that contained high levels of thorium which was the source of the radiation.

The Lynas operation will use a raw material that has naturally low levels of thorium (50 times lower than the tin tailings used by Asian Rare Earth).

The Mentri Besar also slammed Opposition politicians for exploiting the Lynas issue during his speech at the excellence awards presentation ceremony for students and schools in major public examinations at Pahang Foundation here on Tuesday.