Relocating Sant'Antnin plant

It is paradoxical that Wasteserv, supported by Environment Minister George Pullicino, pushed forward its proposal to expand Sant'Antnin waste treatment plant by using the condescending argument that it is for the good of Marsascala when, indeed, the vast majority of people are vehemently opposed to this proposal.

Labour abhors such tug-of-wars on issues that directly affect people's health and well-being. Mr Pullicino thinks otherwise, and even pursues an imaginary tug-of-war he alleges is consuming the Malta Labour Party over the Sant'Antnin waste treatment plant (The Times, December 12)! Such myths are intended to distract us from the real tug-of-wars tearing apart his party, which are detaching the PN from the needs and apprehensions of people in this country.

Labour's approach relies on well thought policies on issues of recycling and sewage treatment plants that are understood by everyone, and supported by all. As repeatedly stated by Alfred Sant, we favour a policy that promotes small regional waste treatment plants. For this sensible reason, we have consistently opposed the proposed expansion of the Sant'Antnin waste treatment plant which will effectively centralise waste treatment activities to one area.

Labour has also been consistently in favour of technological improvements. In 1997 we implemented the innovative eco pod system at Sant'Antnin plant to mitigate some of the damage done by the previous administration when it located this waste facility under the noses of Marsascala residents. Nevertheless, we are not convinced that the technological changes being proposed will bring any improvement to the plight of the Marsascala people. But we will never know until Mr Pullicino presents the blueprints of the proposed project. (What is keeping him from presenting these in Parliament?)

We only know that the existing plant will be demolished. This should be the golden opportunity for Mr Pullicino to relocate the waste treatment plant away from Marsascala's residents. There are good technical reasons for relocation of this plant which go back to the environmental policies of the 1970s. Since then, successive government had intentionally located waste facilities outside the aquifer protection zone (APZ) so as to protect potable groundwater from possible sources of contamination. This policy is now formalised by the conditions set down in the EU Landfills Directive which regulates the location of waste facilities.

Unfortunately, this precautionary principle was ignored by the PN administration when it decided to build the Sant'Antnin plant on the APZ and within one kilometre of official boreholes extracting drinking water. Mr Pullicino can now amend this mistake made many years ago and relocate the waste treatment plant to another area. Sadly, the PN administration never admits its mistakes. Instead of amending its mistake it aggravates it and in the process challenges the people of Marsascala.

Clearly, the proposed expansion of Sant'Antnin plant is a mistake for a number of technical reasons, not least the inconvenience to the people of Marsascala. Nevertheless, Mr Pullicino bids me to contribute to the public consultation on the Sant'Antnin plant. It would be irresponsible to contribute to this mistake, so my contribution is to point out the mistake. Indeed, I made a statement regarding the treatment plant's mistaken location on the APZ (October 10).

Mr Pullicino has not responded to my concerns on our precious groundwater resources. Instead he counters by arguing "how can a politician feel competent enough to comment on water protection after claiming he has not reviewed the EIA?" (December 12). Mr Pullicino cannot be taken seriously any longer. He first bids me to contribute to public consultation but when I do his bidding he chastises me by claiming that I am not competent to do so!

Reviewing the EIA report on the proposed Sant'Antnin plant is not a mark of objectivity or competence, as claimed by Mr Pullicino. On the contrary, it has been proved that the EIA report and preliminary report lack objectivity and have presented false conclusions.

The EIA, organised by engineer Mario Schembri, also makes many dubious claims. It is claimed that emissions from the gas engines at the plant would not affect residents; that there will be no sewage sludge produced at the plant and that there will be an effective containment of run-off of polluting liquids. The EIA also presumes that the plant will only service the south but, in reality, its waste catchment area extends to Gozo! It is worth remembering the record of the people defending the Sant'Antnin development.

The EIA report approving this project was compiled by SLR Ltd, which had been previously disowned by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for their EIA report that approved the infamous Mnajdra landfill proposal (another case of a wrongly located proposed waste facility)! Wasteserv's Chris Ciantar is also on the record of having stated in this newspaper a few years ago that engineered landfills will be odour-free. Surely, the residents of Maghtab living next to Ta' Zwejra landfill would disagree! Effectively, EIA reports continue to ignore the effect on people's health.

It is not the first time that Mepa (self-declared as the "competent authority") has approved EIA reports that were considered by many as supporting ludicrous projects proposed by the PN administration and its acolytes. The ultimate responsibility for this lies with Mepa's director general. This situation is seriously undermining Mepa's credibility which has already been strained when Malta's highest moral authority accused Mepa of corruption. Mr Pullicino refuses to investigate these claims which should lead to the resignation of those ultimately found to be responsible.

Labour's views on waste management have been clearly spelled out in contributions to this newspaper. Our policies offer a way out for the conundrum in waste management that successive incompetent PN administrations have beset this country with.

The MLP's policy promotes small regional waste treatment plants in order to contain at a regional level any source of contamination ending in products of waste treatment (including compost which is distributed nation-wide). This precautionary approach has also been adopted by other EU countries which are now awakening to the hazard caused by contaminated compost. A recent EEA report shows how contaminated compost is responsible for high levels of lead in European soils.

Wasteserv's rash proposal to expand Sant'Antnin plant (effectively centralising waste treatment) is bereft of all caution and increases the risk of spreading contaminated compost to a national level. The environmental and health consequences of Wasteserv and the government's hard-headed decision will be very serious for all of us. Thankfully, the government's blunder is resisted by the people and the local council of Marsascala, whose actions are of service to the entire nation and rightly deserves our solidarity and support.

Ultimately, as always happens, it would be a future Labour government that will amend the mistakes of the present administration which persists in error, only to repeat its mistakes.

Mr Mizzi is the MLP's main spokesman for infrastructural services.