WASTEWATER from the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP) contains levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD) that is two to three times higher than permissible, said the Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas (SMSL) group.

Its chairman, Tan Bun Teet, who has been analysing samples since November 2016, said none of the tests showed that LAMP has fully complied with the 23 parameters for wastewater discharge.

Ahead of the group’s protest in Kuantan tomorrow against the government’s decision to grant LAMP a conditional extension, Tan said the plant operated by the Australian rare earth miner must better address its waste residue problem.

“We have conducted more than 20 tests on wastewater discharged from LAMP in recent years.

“We even submitted our tests to the Lynas Review Committee last year.

“But, unfortunately, they are inadmissible in court as the court only recognises analyses by the Chemistry Department or Department of Environment (DoE),” Tan told The Malaysian Insight on a visit to areas surrounding LAMP in the Gebeng Industrial Park.

The 71-year-old retired Mathematics teacher-turned-activist is a regular at the LAMP facility, where he collects water samples from a stream outside the rare earth refinery.

Drainage from the plant flows into Sg Baluk.

Tan said the authorities should do more to study the effects of higher COD levels in river water. COD is a measure of oxygen required to oxidise soluble organic matter in water. It is an important water quality parameter as it provides an index to assess the effects of discharged wastewater into the environment.

Higher COD levels makes it harder for water lifeforms to obtain sufficient oxygen, he said.

“I’ve asked the DoE and Chemistry Department why they are not testing the wastewater, and their reply was they have no budget. But each lab test is only RM500.”

Tan collects the water samples himself, depending on the weather, and sends them to a private laboratory.

“If it’s too hot, the factory ramps up its operations, and if it’s rainy, the samples will be diluted by rain water. 

“But we have managed to trace the higher COD levels in the wastewater from the time Lynas began operations in late 2012,” said Tan.

He said LAMP workers used to chase him away the first few times he went to the stream outside the plant to collect water samples.

“After that, they got used to me and just left me alone,” said Tan, who spends his days babysitting his grandchildren when not campaigning against Lynas.

Tan said he began protesting against the rare earth plant in 2011, pushing for greater transparency in the plant’s handling of its waste. 

Tomorrow, he will lead SMSL in a rally to protest Putrajaya’s decision to grant LAMP a conditional six-month extension on its operations.

Tan said the rally, set to start at 7am in Taman Gelora, will proceed despite the Kuantan police’s stand that the demonstration has not been approved.

“We already informed the Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) two weeks ago and since they have neither rejected nor accepted (the notice of a protest), we will take it that it’s accepted,” Tan said earlier today.

The Malaysian Insight attempted to contact Lynas to discuss Tan’s claims but has not received any response. – August 17, 2019.