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Bill Johnston, Western Australia's minister for
mines, will meet Hon Yeo Bee Yin, Malaysia's energy minister, in
Perth on June 20, a ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.
Australia's Lynas, which is the only proven producer of rare
earths outside of China, is waiting to get an operating license
for its Malaysian processing plant renewed before it expires in
September.
The global spotlight has fallen on rare earths in recent weeks
after state media in China suggested that the country could halt
exports of the minerals critical to U.S. defence and other
industries. China produces upwards of 85 percent of the
strategic metals.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said last Thursday he expected
Lynas' operating license to get renewed when it expires in
September.
However, Malaysia's energy ministry wants to discuss ways to
manage the radioactive waste from Lynas Corp's rare earth
processing plant in Malaysia, including its removal, a ministry
spokeswoman told Reuters last week.
Australia has already ruled out taking back the low-level
radioactive residue produced by Lynas's $800 million Malaysian
processing plant, the push by Malaysia shows that its new
government remains divided over Lynas's future in the country.
Malaysia's environment ministry had set conditions in December
for Lynas to remove its waste stockpiles before it would renew
its operating license, conditions that were "in tact" a ministry
spokeswoman said on Friday.
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
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