Sant'Antnin plant closure 'out of the question'

Environment Minister George Pullicino said yesterday he was willing to consider other sites for a waste recycling plant but he would not consider the closure of Sant'Antnin.

In a meeting with the Marsascala shop owners' association, Mr Pullicino said that various parties had been involved in the National Waste Management Strategy, including, but not limited to, persons who were now opposing the plan.

In the strategy it had been agreed that all waste will go to Sant'Antnin. Mr Pullicino said he himself had proposed that the amount of waste should be reduced to the current level of 70,000 tonnes.

The association, which is against the further development of Sant'Antnin and wants the existing plant removed, repeatedly asked whether the ministry could guarantee that there would not be an increase in the quantity of waste being treated there in the future.

Both Mr Pullicino and Parliamentary Secretary Francis Agius, who was also present for the meeting, said a tender will be issued for 70,000 tonnes but they were not in a position to guarantee that this would not increase in the future.

The minister said he could not give any guarantees on behalf of ministers there could be in the future.

Mr Pullicino pointed out that other options such as offshore plants were not affordable.