Size does matter

In his article Relocating Sant'Antnin Plant (February 7), Labour MP Joe Mizzi continues to insist that the Sant'Antnin proposal to upgrade the waste recycling plant is designed to cater for all of Malta's municipal solid waste (MSW). He continues to demolish all efforts to educate the public when he claims that the facility will be "demolished" when it has been publicly stated that demolition will amount to just 11 per cent of the existing plant!

Despite the publication of the environmental impact assessment, despite the outline application granted by Mepa and despite all the public education that has been ongoing for the past months, Mr Mizzi continues to dig his head deeper into the sand for political convenience. In so doing, he overlooks the fact that one condition of the outline permit is that the proposed facility should cater for an annual throughput of 35,000 tonnes of organic waste and 36,000 tonnes of dry recyclables.

Now Malta generates 210,000 tonnes of MSW per annum. Of this, about 60 per cent is organic matter. This amounts to 126,000 tonnes of biodgeradable waste per annum. Based on the scenario contemplated by the Labour Party, each plant will therefore cater for 31,500 tonnes of organic waste!

Additionally, technology tells us that the optimum throughput for a biodgradable waste treatment facility is in the region of 35,000 tonnes per annum. This is the size of a digestion plant being proposed at Sant'Antnin for which EU Cohesion Funds, to the tune of €16 million, are being allocated to this country's benefit!

Based on the straightforward calculation above, Mr Mizzi is out on a rampage to demoralise efforts for the satisfactory management of waste for a mere 3,500 tonnes of organic waste per annum (less than 10 tonnes per day)! Given that the optimum efficiency of "off-the-shelf" technology will be reached with a throughput of 35,000 tonnes per annum, Mr Mizzi should be made aware that the size of plant being proposed by WasteServ Malta Ltd is the size his party will be proposing when in government (naturally, the longer that takes to occur the more the technologies improve!). Now then, does size really matter?

Mr Mizzi may, however, be perturbed by the fact that 36,000 tonnes of dry recyclables will be finding their way to Sant'Antnin. This "clean" and odourless recyclable material should be of no concern to Mr Mizzi. Indeed, Labour's environmental policy is also based on waste separation. All material collected will have to be hand sorted on a conveyor belt prior to being baled for export. Dividing this activity into four facilities makes no economic sense given that this tonnage equates to less than 100 tonnes per day (or four tonnes per hour)!

But Mr Mizzi should start focusing on his party's proposal now that the MLP's environment policy has been adopted. Given that Labour is proposing four treatment plants across Malta, each treating about 32,000 tonnes of organic waste per annum, where, may I ask, will these plants be located? One in each region I presume. Fine, based on this hypothesis, where will Labour site the plant catering for the southern region? Don't the people in the south deserve to know! I hope he has a better answer to this query than his leader's. And, once I am on this point, let me assure everyone that our report for the Sant'Antnin plant cost much less than the Lm400,000 mentioned by the Opposition Leader.

Rather than embarking on a mud-slinging campaign, Mr Mizzi should educate us on his party's policy. He should be telling each and every Maltese citizen what is the difference between Labour's environmental policy, specifically that on waste management, and the policies already being implemented by this government. There is no difference whatsoever. The policies are identical and so it should be because we are convinced that our proposals make sense. The only difference is that this government is now at the implementation phase and not promising pie in the sky.

Maybe Mr Mizzi could also use his time better and influence Labour-led councils to play ball on matters of national interest, such as the location of bring-in sites and other waste management facilities.

Education, public awareness, bring-in sites, civic amenity sites, biogas, landfills, waste treatment plants, eco-contribution and rehabilitation of landfills are the keywords I managed to identify while reading through the chapter on waste management in Labour's environment policy. Which of these issues has not been touched upon in our remit to deliver change? None whatsoever!

But once again Labour is proving to be shy to make the quality leap from proposing a wish list to spelling out in concrete proposals as to how these ought to be implemented. That is the difference between the government and the opposition.

Moreover, this government is supported by €32 million of EU aid for the current programming period. Additional funds will be allocated for waste management from the next programming period (2007-2013). Had the Maltese citizens believed Labour when it, yet again, dug its head deep in the sand on EU accession, Malta would now be deprived of these funds. Thankfully, that was not meant to be and now the country is on track to setting up a sound waste management infrastrucutre.

Mr Pullicino is Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment.