Opponents of Sant'Antnin plant threaten legal action

The committee opposing the redevelopment of the Sant'Antnin waste recycling plant at Marsascala, the Kumitat Inharsu l-Ambjent Fejn Nghixu, said yesterday it would claim compensation from the authorities if it was proved that the plant had an adverse effect on residents' health, and if the prices of property in the area went down because of the development.

The committee is composed of the Marsascala, Zejtun and Zabbar local councils, a few NGOs and representatives of the Malta Labour Party and Alternattiva Demokratika.

Addressing the media yesterday, the mayors of the three localities said the government and WasteServ were bound to consult the public about a project that would have such an impact on 35,000 residents in winter and 50,000 in summer.

Marsascala mayor Charlo Mifsud said it was untrue that the bodies opposing the project wanted to make Malta lose EU structural funds.

The mayor said though the local council was opposing the redeveloped plant, it acknowledged that waste disposal was a huge national problem. However, it was not fair that one region had to put up with the waste problems of the whole of Malta.

Mr Mifsud insisted that once the plant would be dismantled for a new one to be built instead, independent experts should identify other sites so different regions would share the burden.

He said a different area, which was not close to residents, should be chosen. "All decisions should be taken transparently by the authorities," he said, adding that the interests of WasteServ were different from those of residents.

The information leaflets that were being distributed door to door in favour of the development failed to answer the real questions the people were asking, he said, adding that the main problem boiled down to a lack of consultation.

Zejtun mayor Joe Attard and Zabbar mayor Dominic Agius also complained about the lack of consultation and said they only got to know how plans were heading from newspapers.

Mr Agius said Zabbar had been completely left out of consultation talks, even though the waste recycling plant would affect the locality. "We have a duty to speak in the name of residents," Mr Attard said.

The Zejtun mayor asked why even dry waste from bring-in sites had to be sent all the way to Marsascala, when it could be processed in stations at different parts of the island.

Contacted yesterday, Environment Minister George Pullicino said he had offered to meet the Marsascala council and to speak to residents in November, but had found "nothing but confrontation".

"I have no problems with meeting anyone to discuss," Mr Pullicino said. The minister said that WasteServ consultant Pieter Morks and strategy and development executive Chris Ciantar, together with himself, had held a meeting with PN district committees of the third district, which had asked for clarifications on the Sant'Antnin plant.

On June 9, a meeting will be held with representatives of the commercial community about the issue, Mr Pullicino said, explaining that the government was far from brushing aside what the people had to say.

In a separate statement, WasteServ said there were no plans to demolish the Sant'Antnin plant and rebuild it. It was to be modernised so that the residents can live better. WasteServ is to invest €16.4 million on modern equipment that would ensure that the waste is processed in an enclosed space.

After consultation and several scientific studies it had applied to treat 71,000 tonnes of waste a year. The residents' views had been taken into account and the impact on the locality would be further minimised.

Any odours are to be treated using very advanced technology and the amount of gas to be stored on site minimised to the equivalent of just four domestic gas cylinders. Most of the existing structures are to be used in the new project.

WasteServ denied that four plants would be built on the site. There was to be a system to treat 35,000 tonnes of organic waste and another system to treat 36,000 tonnes of recyclable waste. The plant is today licensed to treat 80,000 tonnes of waste. There are no plans to dispose of sludge at the Sant'Antnin plant.

WasteServ also denied that the alternative sites had not been chosen simply because of size; there were other environmental reasons that prejudiced the decision.