Singapore is unlikely to be affected by a rare earth mineral refinery about to open in neighbouring Malaysia but will nonetheless monitor food and water imports, said a government official on Monday.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said in a written parliamentary statement that Singapore had systems in place to monitor any potential radioactive contamination of food and water imports.
He was responding to Member of Parliament, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, from Nee Soon GRC who asked about potential contamination from a new rare-earth plant opening in Kuantan, which has attracted environmental and safety concerns.
Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged that “some concerns have been expressed in the Malaysian media” regarding the operation of the Lynas Advance Materials Plant in Kuantan.
The plant is almost completed but still requires a temporary operating license before it can begin operations. Malaysian authorities have delayed granting the license until after a hearing instigated by local protesters over perceived dangers of radioactive waste.
But Dr Balakrishnan noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has conducted a review of the Lynas Plant at the request of the Malaysian government, which found that the design, operational specifications and procedures of the plant were in compliance with international radiation safety standards.
He said although Singapore’s water agency PUB expected no significant impact on the Republic’s water supply, it sampled water for chemical, biological and radioactive pollutants on a daily basis.
He added that the National Environment Agency and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) also tested regularly for potential contamination of Singapore’s environment and food sources.
Singapore is a small, urban republic of 5 million with few natural resources and imports much of its fresh food and water from Malaysia.
Contamination of the water in the area surrounding the refinery is a primary concern of Malaysian protesters, who are led by non-government organisation Save Malaysia-Stop Lynas. They have demanded that Malaysia ban Lynas from importing rare earth material to avoid a repeat of radiation problems at other mineral processing plants.
A refinery disposal site in Bukit Merah in the Malaysian state of Ipoh, previously owned by Mitsubishi Chemicals, has allegedly caused a spike in leukaemia in the surrounding community and is undergoing a RM300 million cleanup.
However, last year the Star reported that the Australian rare earths from Lynas were different materials that contained negligible radiation levels compared to those at Bukit Merah.
The IAEA review recommended that the Lynas plant, which is located about 300 kilometres from Singapore near the Pahang State capital of Kuantan, make several improvements such as routine health screens of employees and a clear plan for disposing of low-level radioactive waste.
Singapore’s Dr Balakrishnan said that Malaysia and Singapore had methods in place to share information on environmental issues that affect both countries.
“The Government will continue to remain vigilant and monitor any potential sources of contamination to our imports and our environment,” he said.
