Freeport architect unable to explain provenance of trucks

Reports of construction waste being dumped at sea has been going on for "months" but at the time there was no photographic evidence to pin down the perpetrators, according to Nature Trust.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has asked the police to investigate a practice whereby construction waste was loaded onto a barge at the Freeport and illegally dumped at sea. A police spokesman yesterday told The Times the investigations into the matter were underway.

Attempts to reach Charles Polidano, whose company trucks were seen transporting the rock onto a barge, failed yesterday and he could not be contacted for a comment.

When contacted, Freeport architect Joe Bugeja was not in a position to say where the said trucks were coming from.

"All I can say is that whatever excess inert material we have is sent to a specified spoil area at sea. This has been going on for a long time," he said.

He added that he was only aware of material derived from Freeport projects.

The alarm bells were raised by Alternattiva Demokratika which alerted Mepa about the matter, following pictures provided by a resident.

Nature Trust spokesman Alan Deidun underlined the need for tougher monitoring of the sea, which, he said, was increasingly becoming victim to man's ills.

Divers and fishermen were frequently reporting cases of construction rubble being dumped at sea, he said.

Mr Deidun and biology professor Patrick Schembri spoke to The Times about the general implication of dumping construction rubble in the sea.

The primary issue is the huge amount of silt (fine dust) generated by the stone which can take days to settle. This reduces water visibility, destroying flora and fauna that relies on light.

It was enough to look at the way the sea had turned into a milky white because of the Cirkewwa terminal and Portomaso projects, Prof. Schembri said.

Secondly, the construction material can smother the seabed, and plants and slow-moving creatures could end up buried under the rubble.

Ultimately it all depends on the kind of material being dumped in the water. Certain material might even have chemical nutrients which in effect fertilise the sea, Prof. Schembri explained.

Ideally such dumping is carried out in deep seas with a sandy base. A site earmarked some three kilometres off Grand Harbour is being used for the dumping of construction rubble generated by the Tignè project.

Nature Trust is not opposed to any form of land reclamation but Dr Deidun said he feared that no mitigation measures will be taken, prompting an environment disaster.

"Ultimately though, before any decisions are taken, we need to carry out a proper study to make sure we make the most informed decision," Prof. Schembri said.