(Reuters) - Rare earths producer Lynas Corp <LYC.AX> on Friday said it was conducting preliminary work on a waste-disposal facility for its Malaysian plant, which is due for an operating licence renewal in September.
The largest rare-earths producer outside China said it awaited formal notice from the Malaysian government on the conditions required for renewing its operating licence. Malaysia's environment ministry had said a decision would be announced in mid-August=.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that the renewal hinged on Lynas providing a coherent plan to manage low-level radioactive waste from its rare-earths processing plant. Lynas has been embroiled in a long-running dispute with Malaysia over how to deal with waste at the plant.
(Reporting by Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates)
