A Radioactive Thorium Pollution Case in Malaysia: Asian Rare

Earth Incident Revisited

Yoshihiko Wada, PhD Faculty of Economics

Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan

May 31, 2013 Rare Earth Symposium

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

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Asian Rare Earth Incident A severe radioactive contamination case which took place in the village of Bukit Merah and its visinity areas which are located near Ipoh in Penang Province, Malaysia during the late 1970s through early 1990s. This incident is considered typical and one of the most severe cases of “Pollution Export” or “Exporting Polluting Industry” from an industrialized nation to a developing country.

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The Malay Peninsula

Gebeng Industrial Park

Kuantan

Ipoh and Bukit Merah Asian Rare Earth Incident

Map created by Mr. Noboru Zama

Sumatra, Indonesia

South China Sea

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• The awfully severe contamination was caused by the very poor waste management during the refinery process of monazite ores for the production of rare earths products, such as Yttrium, etc.

• Thorium 232 was the main toxic residue . • The production was conducted by Asian Rare

Earth (ARE). ARE is a joint venture company established by a Japanese and a Malaysian corporation.

• The largest share-holder was Mitsubishi Kasei* Company, now called Mitsubishi Kagaku** (*Kasei=chemical change, **Kagaku = chemical) which owned 35% of ARE’s share. 4

A Background History of the ARE Problem

• Until early 1970s, the Mitsubishi Kasei Company had produced rare earths products within Japan. In 1968, the Japanese Nuclear Reactors Control Act was amended, and the regulation became tougher.

• Also, since citizens’ concerns on radioactive wastes such as thorium became stronger, the Mitsubishi Kasei stopped its rare earth production within Japan in 1971. So did other companies.

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• Mitsubishi Kasei was one of the main companies which caused severe asthma case in Yokkaichi City near Nagoya.

• In 1972. Mitsubishi Kasei lost law suite case for the negligence of not having conducted environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Yokkaichi in advance.

• They were ordered to pay the damage done to the asthma victims.

• In 1979, Mitsubishi Kasei established a joint-venture company, Asian Rare Earth (ARE), in order to satisfy the demand for rare earths products in Japan. ARE started its operation in 1982. 100 % of the ARE rare earth products were exported to Japan.

• Mitsubishi Kasei should have conducted EIA before deciding the location of the refinery. But, they did not!

• They totally ignored the lessons learned from costly Yokkaichi asthma case.

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• At ARE, the Thorium wastes amounted to 328 tons/year. Uranium Oxide : 13 tons/year, Barium & Radium: 40-80 tons/year. Total: 400 tons/year.

• However, they did not have a proper waste management scheme. Between 1982-83, they dumped the radioactive wastes near a pond. In 1984, they built a storage which was not adequate, either. No warning signs, either.

• Toxic radioactive wastes leaked into nearby ponds and rivers. The land, water and air were severely contaminated by radioactive matters, mainly by Thorium 232.

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ARE（in its operation, 1985）

During 1982-83, the waste management was even worse. Source: Consumer Association of Penang. Website. Accessed on May 17, 2013

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• Just the around the dump site, radioactivity level (gamma ray) was 50 times higher than normal (1meters from the ground in 1984).

• At some site, 730 times higher than normal（in 1986, measured by Professor Sadao Ichikawa and Dr. Rosalie Bertell）（Ichikawa, 2005）

• As a result, the effect on the health of the workers and nearby residents was absolutely devastating.

• One example is that the occurrence of child leukemia was 40 times higher compared to that of the national average. 9

The degree of child monocytopenia (decreased counts of a kind of white blood cells) is comparable to that of the children in Marshall Islands, where H-bomb experiments were carried out by the USA.

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Normal Children in Bukit Merah, 1987 Children in Marshall Islands 1957-61

Comparison of the Counts of White Blood Cells

Kojima, Nobuo. 1992.

Frequency of Occurrence

Monocyte Count

• The social outrage of rare earth development became so strong that the community members brought the case to the Ipoh High Court in 1985.

• In 1992, the high court issued a verdict to stop the operation.

• On the contrary, the Supreme Court verdict in 1993 denied the high court order.

• ARE, however, closed down the factory in 1994 stating that importing from China would be more economical.

• The toxic wastes were left behind. • It took 9 years for the decontamination and

demolishment operations to commence. • A Permanent waste disposal facility was built in

2003. 11

Permanent Waste Disposal Site, EC1

Photographed by Y. Wada on November 30, 2012 12

Between 2003-2005, 250 thousand tons of contaminated soil, building materials, equipment have been brought to this site (41 hectares).

Permanent Waste Disposal Site

•

13 Source: The Star June 13, 2010

Ex-ARE site after demolishment

14 Photographed by Y. Wada on November 29, 2012

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Photographed by Y. Wada on November 29, 2012

My visit to Bikit Merah Village in November 2012. I met with Scientists, Community members, Political leaders.

Photographed on November 29, 2012 16

I met with Ms Lai Kwan who worked for ARE in the early 1980s. She was engaged in expansion of the factory. She became pregnant and gave birth to Mr. Cheah Kok Leong in 1983. He was her 12th child. It is sad that he suffered from congenital handicaps, such as cataract, a hole in heart, etc.

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Photographed by Mr. Ray Ng on Nov. 30, 2012

Mr. Cheah Kok Leong held by a Japanese supporter.

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Ms. Lai Kwan and her son, Mr. Cheah Kok Leong who was invited to testify at the 9th Japan

Environmental Conference in 1989 （『Akahata Newspaper』, September 10, 1989）

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Photos: Dr. Rosallie Bertell holding Leong. • Leong passed away on March 29th, 2012 at the age of 28. (Direct cause was Septic Shock Secondary to Meninoitis.) • Ms. Kwan remembers that Dr. Bertell had told that Leong

might not be able to live up to 30 year old. Ms. Kwan wept with tears in her eyes, saying “Dr. Bertell’s prediction was right. Leong liked to watch new moon. Whenever I see new moon, I remember him.”

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• Mitsubishi Kasei (now called Mitsubishi Kagaku) and Penang Provincial Government have never admitted that there is causal relationship between the wastes generated by ARE and the health damages.

• ARE is making monthly payment to the victims from so-called “Development Fund.”

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Locations of ARE and the Permanent Waste Disposal Site

Source： Penang Consumers Association 2000.

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Permanent Waste Disposal Site

ARE site

Permanent Waste Disposal Site, EC1

Photographed by Y. Wada on November 30, 2012 23

Between 2003-2005, 250 thousand tons of contaminated soil, building materials, equipment have been brought to this site (41 hectares).

24 Photographed by Y. Wada on November 30, 2012

Radiation measurements （gamma ray）

• Radiation (gamma ray) readings were 0.115、0.109, 0.118, 0.128 micro Sv/hour which are 2～3 times higher compared to the national averages. These are not extremely bad.

• One reading at the Permanent Disposal site was 0.444 micro Sv/h, which was approximately 10 times higher compared to the natural background level.

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pond

５

６ ７（糞）

８ ９

10 11

Soil sample site numbers Collected on Nov. 30, 2012

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Permanent Waste Disposal Site

Pahang

Results of Soil Content Analysis (ARE sites: 1-2） (Permanent Disposal Site: 5-11）

Thorium 232 (left) and Uranium238

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

トリウム（Th)

ウラン（U)

(mg/kg ＝PPM)

Soil analised by Mr. Takeo Fukumoto of Osaka University Department of Sciences, Japan. Japanese Environ Standard of Thorium Contents： 92ppm (provided by Mr. Hiroaki Koide of Kyoto University)

No. 9 is soil in weed field

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Results of Soil Content Analysis (ARE sites: 1-2） (Permanent Disposal Site: 5-11）

Thorium 232 (left) and Uranium238 and others

猪名川底質 エジアンー１ エジアンー２ エジアンー５ エジアンー６ エジアンー７ エジアンー８ エジアンー９ エジアンー１０ エジアンー１１

サンプル量（ｇ） 3.220 3.599 2.903 3.314 3.164 1.707 3.248 3.352 2.862 3.758

含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg) 含有値(mg/kg)

チタン（Ti） 350 30 34.4 29 21 13.2 29 32 12.2 16.6

バナジウム（V) 18 6.3 6.7 12.8 3.4 2.9 10.8 19.4 2.6 2.7

クロム（Cr） 16 18.8 6 13.6 6.7 12.4 12.3 12.7 6.1 3.7

マンガン（Mn) 241 117 68.9 196 103 133 177 291 87 113

鉄（Fe) 9320 26400 2760 7540 2610 1900 6620 18600 1750 2200

ニッケル（Ni） 7.3 12.5 1.7 3.5 1.3 3.8 4 9.7 0.66 1.1

銅（Cu) 33 39.6 8.6 5.9 2.8 29.3 15 16.4 7.1 6.7

亜鉛（Zn) 64 33.3 31 25.6 20 60 42 82 10.5 12

ヒ素（As) 5.8 14.6 16.4 32 7.2 5.9 28 66 5.9 8.6

ストロンチウム（Sr) 16 8.3 4.3 5 3.2 11.9 7.5 19.4 2.4 2.7

イットリウム（Y） 5 9.7 4.3 35 13 5.4 37 119 7.5 10

バリウム（Ba） 29 19.4 12 25.6 20 47 37 82 21.8 16.6

ランタン（La） 6.7 18.8 5.8 24 14 4.1 24.6 51.5 6.2 13.3

セリウム（Ce) 13 41 13 56.6 33 13.5 53 104 14.8 32

ネオヂウム（Nd） 5.2 14.6 4.8 21 12 3.8 21.6 47 5.8 12

鉛（Pb） 18 11 9.5 20 7.5 7.5 21.6 45.5 4.6 6.1

トリウム（Th) 3.7 15.3 13 35 13 6.7 29 58 9.6 14

ウラン（U) 0.5 3.2 3.7 9 3.5 1.9 9.2 23 3.5 3.2 28

Thorium: an Alpha-Ray Emitter • Alpha-ray is dangerous because it attacks genes,

DNA within cells of living organisms in a very short distance, constantly and intensely.

• Numerous evidences have been accumulated to prove that “low level” but “internal exposure” by alpha-ray is much more damaging than commonly believed (Alice Stewart, Goffmann, etc.). For example, Rothkamm, et al. 2003. “Evidence for a lack of DNA double-strand break repair in human cells exposed to very low x-ray doses.” April 4, 2003, doi* 10.1073/PNAS. On-line. 29

• The current international safety standard set by the ICRP (International Commission on Radioactive Protection) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) overly underestimates the health risks low level exposure, and internal exposure of alpha-ray, putting emphasis on only external exposure.

• Because of this inadequate safety standard, victims of low-level and/or alpha-ray exposures have been left uncompensated, and the preventative measures have been inappropriate all over the world.

• Because of this error, number of workers at nuclear facilities, rare earth and uranium mining and refinery sites have been victimized. Hundred of thousands down-winders died.

• The Japanese civil society and concerned scientists have began to doubt the validity of the current radioactive safety standard, especially after the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrphe in 2011 (Yagasaki and Morita 2012).

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Recommendations • 1. There are both responsible and irresponsible

corporations in the world. International communities should act on the assumption that the latter type may come into being and does harm to the hosts.

• 2. “Global Compact” initiated by the UN has some merits. It assumes that companies are responsible. We need to consider the way to deal with irresponsible corporations also.

• 3. Governments of industrialized countries should use “foreign exchange policy” to regulate investors in terms of pollution abatement plans.

• 4. USA’s “Super Fund Act” imposes the “lenders liability” in terms of loan recipients behaviors. If the loan recipients commit contamination of the facility site, then the financers will be held liable for allowing that to happen. 31

• 5. Rare Earth Development Fund should be established internationally. The fund will be utilized for the permanent disposal of thorium and other radioactive residues. The fund should be provided by the mining and refining companies. (The Pollutors-Pay-Principle, PPP)

• 6. “Internal Radiation” and “Low-dose Radiation Exposure” should be put more recognition in the Radioactive Protection Risk Standards.

• 7. ICRP and IAEA should become more neutral and independent (from industry and governments). They should hire more epidemiologists. 32

• 8. The Resolution between IAEA and WHO in 1959 should be cancelled. (Resolution WHA12.40, adapted at the 12th World Health Assembly, on May 28th. WHO’s any official documents on radioactive related subjects have to be approved by IAEA before publishing.

• 9. Japan should refrain from exporting Nuclear Power Plants from Japan at least until true causes of the Fukushima Catastrophe is determined.

• 10. Japan should refrain from exporting spent nuclear fuels to Mongoria.

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• 11. The Idea of using Thorium Nuclear Power Plant should be reconsidered.

• 12. Lynas Company is planning to sell gypsum utilizing the wastes at the LAMP in Malaysia. This is to reduces the wastes. But, at the same time, radiation risks should be considered, because of potential risks of “internal and low-dose radiation exposure.”

• 13. Urban Mining should be promoted more. • 14. Nuclear Footprint should be considered, in

stead of focusing on only Carbon Footprint. • 15. Short-term “Economism” should give way to

the health of children and the next generations in terms of long-term risks of radioactive contamination. 34

• References: • Bradsher, Keith. 2012. “China, Citing Errors, Vows to

Overhaul Rare Earth Industry.” New York Times, June 20, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/business/global/china-vows- tighter-controls-over-rare-earth-mining.html?_r=1& Last accessed on December 19, 2012.

• Consumer Association of Penang. Wasted Lives . http://www.consumer.org.my/index.php/health/454-chronology-of-events-in-the-bukit-merah-asian-rare-earth-developments Last accessed on January 10, 2013.

• Ichikawa, Sadao. 2005．”Rosallie Bertell and me” Bertell, R. How War Affairs Destroy the Earth. pp. 21-30.

• Kamei, Takashi. 2011. “Thorium Reactors: Safe, Inexpensive and Small Reactors（2）.” Wedge. September 27, 2011. http://wedge.ismedia.jp/articles/-/1509?page=1 Last accessed on May 13, 2013.

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• Koide, Hiroaki. 1990. “Radioactivity emerged in an industrial waste disposal site.” Technology and Man. 19 (11). pp. 39-53.

• Kojima, Nobuo. 1990. “Pollution Export: Reality and its Legal Challenges.” Hogaku Seminar. No. 422. pp. 48-51.

• Kojima, Nobuo. 1999. “Japanese government and corporations which export ‘pollution’ and ‘environmental destructions’.” Zen-ei. October, 1999. pp. 99-106.

• Kato, Yasuhiro. 2012. Rare Earth Dirt will save Japan. PHP.

• No Nukes Asia Forum Newsletter. No.105（August 20, 2010）.

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