The state of natural resources

The demand for natural resources has often outstripped their local availability. This predicament should have made the proper management of Malta's natural resources, namely freshwater, land, stone and soil resources, an even greater priority for us than in larger countries. The contrary has happened, as shown by the 2005 State of the Environment Report (SOER) which raises more questions rather than they provide answers.

It was customary for SOER reports to provide voluminous critical data compiled by independent experts. This changed in 2005, when the report was entirely compiled by Mepa with the intent to filter facts and minimise or omit important issues the people should know about. Such an approach will not solve problems, but prolong the present unsustainable misuse of resources. This attitude is also practised by government ministers when responding to parliamentary questions (if they respond at all). The reticence of ministers and their secretive stance becomes more widespread as failures by the government and the entities it funds increase.

Malta's groundwater retains the characteristically high levels of chloride and nitrate as indicated in the 2005 SOER report. However, reality is much bleaker, for many more contaminants end up in our home tap water than those indicated by officialdom.

An internal report issued in 2000 by the Water Services Corporation, based on samples from tap water tested by independent Italian and British companies, reveals the presence of toxic substances exceeding EU thresholds for drinking water. These substances exceeding EU limits include boron, bromate, chromium, cyanide and ammonium! People have a right to be told what comes out of their water taps. They also expect the regulatory body, the Malta Resources Authority, to investigate and prosecute. This is very unlikely to happen bearing in mind that the MRA is run by persons who held key positions in the Water Services Corporation!

The 2005 SOER also chose to ignore natural hazards such as storm water flooding and the cause of these hazards. This problem has been aggravated by Mepa's unsustainable policy of granting permits for urban construction within valleys (as happened in Kalkara valley) that serve as a natural soak away for storm water, while draining the land of excess runoff. To make matters worse, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit persists in constructing flood relief projects in the downstream part of Wied il-Kbir, in Marsa and Qormi, albeit storm water management practised all over the world concentrates on the upstream areas, where the problem originates.

The 2005 SOER's comments on land are purely from a landuse perspective while omitting many related problems, namely ground failure and the use of stone resources. It seems that Mepa's sole interest remains the partitioning of Malta's land resources among rival developers. The manner in which Mepa deals with large developers has been widely known and was predictably confirmed by the Falzon report.

The growing public concern with slope and ground failure reflects the increasing number of such cases that have already damaged private property (also claiming lives) and roads. Mepa's recently issued a disclaimer with regard to responsibility on the safety aspect of buildings it has sanctioned. This is no consolation for people who unwittingly purchase property on ground liable to failure. This problem is widespread and even Malta's largest construction site at Tignè is reputed to be partly built on precariously cavernous ground.

We are reminded of Mepa's irresponsibility when spectacular cases are reported, like the recent slope failure at Xemxija, which could have had tragic consequences. The Falzon report proves Mepa's complicity in the Xemxija fiasco. In such cases, the principle of accountability that sustains a democracy should take its course and bring about the immediate resignation of Mepa's director general and the suspension of the architect concerned. Nothing of the sort has happened, proving that the crisis in democracy I attribute to Parliament is now spread over all institutions.

Such inaction concerning ground failure goes back to 2001 when experts on the Scientific Committee for Civil Protection proposed to the Environment Minister a plan to identify and map geological problem areas. This plan would have informed citizens about ground hazards and advise architects on proper construction procedures in high risk areas, or even prohibit excavation. However, the minister, George Pullicino, chose to ignore their proposal and is now accountable for not acting on expert advice. Do we have to wait for another ground failure hazard to happen to make the immovable Mr Pullicino react?

Mr Pullicino became movable in the controversy about the rock to be excavated at Ghallis ta' Gewwa to make space for a proposed landfill. Labour has insisted that this rock makes good quality aggregate. This view is confirmed by the Mineral Resource Assessment report issued in 1996 that classifies Ghallis area as a valuable national hard stone resource.

Once again, Mr Pullicino chose to ignore expert advise and rubbished the 1996 report. Instead, he upheld Mepa's view that the excavated rock is valueless, based on recent reports by SLR Ltd and Alex Torpiano that downgrade the quality of rock at Ghallis, describing it as "mediocre" (Prof. Torpiano's present stance contradicts his own views when he was part of the team that compiled the 1996 report).

Contrary to what one might expect for rock branded as being mere waste material by Mepa, this rock is actively being sought by three large contractors who have recently placed tenders to purchase two million tones of this "mediocre" rock to be excavated from Ghallis (The Times, January 30). Thanks to Mepa's downgrading of this rock, it will be sold at a price considerably below the market value of rock for aggregate production!

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