More on the recycling plant

One can only take WasteServ's CEO Vince Magri's comments to The Times (January 19) with a pinch of salt.

Mr Magri should reveal to the public that WasteServ Malta Ltd were very reluctant at first to carry out an environment impact assessment, let alone the comparative site selection exercise for the Sant'Antnin recycling plant.

The exercise was requested in the terms of reference imposed by Mepa. Instead of stating that the proposed plant is an upgrading, Mr Magri ought to admit that this is a new, full development project costing €30 million. One only has to compare the new plant's artistic design, incorporating the new production of biogas, to come to that conclusion.

The only preoccupation Mr Magri and the chairman of Mepa had was to rush the decisions behind closed doors, putting the issue on EU funding first and foremost; little did they care about a proper site selection exercise.

I refer Mr Magri to the meeting held with (Environment Minister) George Pullicino on July 15, 2003 when it was agreed that the EIA will seek a justification of the preferred site, being that of Sant'Antnin. No wonder Mepa's own officials criticised the site selection process, labelling it a forgone conclusion.

In its life span, the existing plant has never handled more than 30,000 tonnes of waste annually, so why on earth build a new plant having the capacity to process over 200,000 tpa when continuously trying to push down people's throats the idea that only 71,000 tonnes will be treated in the new Sant' Antnin plant?

May I remind WasteServ's CEO that, as yet, the minister has never given any guarantees either to the Church Environment Commission or to the Marsascala Bars and Restaurants Association that the new proposed plant won't exceed 71,000 tpa.

One can only blame WasteServ for the catastrophic state in which the plant lies, not to mention the bad conditions the workmen had to endure since they took over the plant way back in 2000.

As far as the residents go, they don't want the recycling plant in whatever shape or form for the facts remain the same, that, above all, it is too close to residential areas. It is visible from everywhere, towering over a natural valley, smack on the main road leading to Marsascala. It is considered by many as a health hazard, reflecting negatively on our property, thus sending bad messages to our tourism industry and gradually destroying a favourite spot in the south of Malta.

I am glad that EU Commissioner Stavros Dimas is now in possession of Mepa's controversial meeting report of December 21, 2006, forwarded by the Committee Against The Sant'Antnin Recycling Plant, listing all the irregularities that occurred during the said meeting. Not forgetting that the approved full permit has bypassed the pending appeal against the outline development, and the pending constitutional case filed by the Marsascala local council over the alleged impartiality of the Appeals Board. There is then, not least, the investigation by Mepa's own audit office into the process which we consider to have been manipulated and vitiated.