Wardens, health inspectors for the environment
On October 1 Malta closed negotiations with the European Commission on the vast but sensitive area of the environment. Some issues have been entered in significant technical aspects. The following issues that concern all of us are directly affected by...
On October 1 Malta closed negotiations with the European Commission on the vast but sensitive area of the environment. Some issues have been entered in significant technical aspects. The following issues that concern all of us are directly affected by EU membership: Maghtab and Qortin, Marsa power station. Qajjenza gas-bottling plant, air pollution from transport, hunting and trapping, dumping of sewage into the sea, quality of drinking water and noise pollution.
These issues indeed concern us but we are not all law-enforcement officers. And yet there are thousands of citizens who are directly responsible for offences against the law concerning the environment. Besides, there are aggressors of good manners and respect for neighbours or fellow citizens. The rules, though unwritten, of good neighbourhood are often more honoured in the breach.
Indiscriminate parking tickets
For years now we have had local wardens. And we have had complaints against the behaviour of some of them. People have written to newspapers and others have aired their complaints in radio talk-shows that the wardens' main, when not exclusively the only, concern was the 'irregular' parking of cars. We had statistics showing the number of parking tickets issued every month per locality. It is almost like a lottery as to which squad of wardens issued the largest number.
If one were to translate the tickets into fines one finds that wardens are acting as 'tax collectors' for the local councils. And yet hardly any of the other issues have bothered the wardens. Perhaps they are not wholly to blame. It all depends on the instructions given to them by the local councils.
Though wardens are apparently obsessed with parking they hardly seem to bother with one of the eight issues mentioned, namely air pollution from traffic. The offenders here are all sorts of motor vehicles. Often it is the type of fuel put in tanks and this does not refer to leaded petrol only. There are culprits who use kerosene and water mixed with diesel. Samples of the fuel used should be tested in a laboratory.
Air pollution from transport
At least two wardens per locality should be released from the parking offences roster. The should be detailed to watch out for fumes coming out of motor vehicles. The smoke is easily seen and smelt, even from a distance. These fumes undoubtedly are a health hazard. There was a time when traffic police used sometimes to book all those who adulterated their fuel.
While they are at it wardens should also look out for small cars and motorcycles whose 'silencers' cause noise pollution! More often than not these noisy silencers are tampered with to make them louder and thus show how macho the driver is!
The environment is also harmed by the overflow of liquid concrete from mixture-carrier trucks. It-Telgha t'Alla u Ommu, between Naxxar and Salina/Burmarrad at present gives the impression and feel while driving down the slope of going down along a steep staircase. It is pretty obvious that this ' impression' was caused by overloaded concrete carriers.
Health inspectors and dumping
An essential part of health inspectors' duties is to examine and keep monitoring the sewage outlets of hotels, restaurants and factories.
The dumping of toxic material by industrial factories could be easily investigated by careful screening and investigation. Besides, the engineers in charge are, one supposes, in duty bound to keep records of their dangerous substances, especially of the waste, noting down the method together with the date, time and locality of disposal.
On the spot guard at Maghtab and Qortin, among other lesser dumps, should monitor what is being dumped as regards construction and factory waste and household refuse.
Litter in the streets or in the outskirts of towns and villages is also within the competence of health inspectors.
Hunting and trapping
All political parties should be honest and transparent in their policies. They should come out unequivocally against illicit and out-of-season hunting and trapping.
The question of loss of votes must be carefully examined as being pro or con an honest deal with voters. It is clear that the hunting and trapping lobby is a minority. Since when, one may very well ask, does a minority rule the country? Has not this particular issue been adversely criticised in most countries of the European Union?
It has now been declared that no new licenses will be issued. It has also been stated that licencse holders will not be affected. Yet nothing is said of what happens when the holder passes away. Do his heirs inherit the licence? If so, this is legal quibbling!
Hunting haunts are easily marked; so are trapping sites. All these are well known to local councillors. Their duty is to point out all this to a team of two wardens for checking. The team is being suggested for their personal protection against possible aggression by trigger-happy hunters. Checking could take place on vertical fin-mesh nets which are illegal, the calibre of shot and localities where it is forbidden to hunt and trap.
In the long run the precautions that are being mooted still prevail whether we join the EU or not. Our health, safety and well-being depend on how we address these issues. The other issues not commented upon fall within areas in which it is Government's duty to be involved pro-actively.