Caroline Muscat
Mepa quietly 'suspends' its pollution report service
Attempts to file report fails
The emergency service for the public to report environmental pollution has been suspended, the planning authority has confirmed, even though the mobile number remains advertised on its website.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority admitted it had "temporarily suspended" its pollution reporting service without informing the public or providing alternative measures.
This follows the public outcry over a similar move by the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) to temporarily suspend its SMS service to report vehicle emissions, without making an announcement.
Mepa's move emerged after The Sunday Times conducted an exercise to investigate the effectiveness of its emergency services.
Posing as an anonymous citizen wishing to report the dumping of waste oils into the environment, a call was made to the listed emergency number for "pollution control emergency services".
Calls were made every day at different times for a fortnight, but the mobile phone number provided on the website remained switched off.
There was no message directing callers to another number or service.
Attempts were also made to reach the unit through Mepa's main line, but the transferred calls elicited no replies during office hours until the line went dead.
When Mepa was pressed to say why nobody was manning a service offered on its website, it said the service was "temporarily suspended" pending further review. The authority did not say when the service would be up and running again.
The service enabled the public to report illegal acts of pollution, ranging from emissions from chimney stacks to the dumping of all kinds of waste into the environment, with the exception of vehicle emissions.
It is Mepa's duty to follow up on such reports, conduct investigations to identify the perpetrators and take them to court.
When asked for a clarification on what action the public could now take to make such reports, the authority said a call could be made to the Civil Protection Department or the public health department.
The Sunday Times called the CPD on its emergency line and tried to report the dumping of waste oils into the environment. However, the reply was that such reports did not fall under its responsibility and suggested filing a report with the police.
"If someone is dumping waste oil onto the street, we can come and cover it with gravel, but if it's being dumped into fields then I have to put you through to the police so you can file a report," the duty officer said.
The CPD's main duty is to coordinate assistance in land and sea disasters. The department is not empowered to conduct investigations or enforce the law.
Calls made yesterday to two numbers given for the public health department that Mepa referred the reports to also remained unanswered.
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sandra vella
Sep 14th 2009, 23:32
how much worse can it get, it dissapointing and disgusting. In this day and age when government and authorities should be full force doing something about all types of polutions, environment issues and our fading countryside, what are they doing? not only NOTHING but all out backwards. ITS SAD and not acceptable !!!!!!!!
diana cottis
Sep 14th 2009, 09:33
Well done to journalist Caroline Muscat for writing this article. It is an example of investigative journalism - something which Malta really, really needs. Now we need to hear the response from the government departments and ministers and from the opposition too.
S Aquilina
Sep 14th 2009, 09:33
Well done to timesofmalta for taking the initiative and do some journalism. I expect similar stories to be published by other media but as usual they are lost in how much 'il kabocci u l-pastard'' are being sold.
J Brownie
Sep 14th 2009, 09:30
How rediculous can we go - where all the envoirnmental credentials and promisses have ended ? - the 1 million trees that had to be planted, the improvement of air quality , the care for the few countryside left, the real resolve to control construction and development, better traffic management and less polluting vehicles on the road and many other blah , blah, blah . Of course elections are not around the corner so we can afford taking the people for a ride on environment - I was one of them but like many many others cannot forget this time round.
D. Xerri
Sep 14th 2009, 08:31
No Surprise from the GonziPN Government - I just wonder when will the Maltese People ever learn not to swallow lies and false promises so beautifully designed before every election that PN won so far. I guess those crucial few weeks before every election are the only weeks in 5 years government that PN works for, and succeeds in trapping the maltese people time and time again.
Joe galea
Sep 14th 2009, 07:58
MEPA is clearly and definitely another brick in the wall of failures of the PN.
I don't see any ray of hope for this island other than people should start fleeing to other countries.
Andrew Gatt
Sep 13th 2009, 22:27
Here we go again.
r pace bonello
Sep 13th 2009, 21:58
As much as I hate to admit it, it is clear for all to see that we are in deep trouble !
When are you, Dr Gonzi, going to grab the bull by the horns and take control by making it clear to all that failure is a firing offence, and that has to include ministers, because, I can assure you, that the people are very angry. You have worked in the private sector and here you either perform or you are fired. Government should be no different. There is still time but its fading very fast. It has to be management by results - nothing less.
S. Camilleri
Sep 13th 2009, 18:43
MEPA and ADT really take the cake. I really wish that there existed the Olimpiads of Incompetent Authorities... Malta will finally get its two gold medals!!
When are we going to have some accountability?? As far back as I remember, all PN governments (and in opposition) have been using or abusing this term. Now I realise that it is all hubris and hot air. As far as I'm concerned this administration today is just a white collar version of the 'old' labour administrations.
Joe Morana
Sep 13th 2009, 17:29
Similar to ADT's SMS Emission Alert Scheme. I bet that as usual nobody will assume the responsibility or be held accountable for misleading the public making beleive that the pollution reporting service is still operational when it transpires that it is not . This is obscene. SHAME.
Galea. L
Sep 13th 2009, 16:42
They are simply taking fantastic salaries from our taxes without providing any service. All these authorities are quangos that should be scrapped and the respective Ministries and government departments re-established. As they say how much better we were when we were worse.
Joe Cassar
Sep 13th 2009, 14:43
Is this part of the famous reform of MEPA?
J Oatmon
Sep 13th 2009, 13:39
Malta is now a 'third world country' with a disfunctional government incapable of taking strong action against rampant incompetence and corruption - VAT frauds, Mepa scandals/frauds, ADT pollution scandles, medical authority scandals, firework petard dangers, hunting in national parks, a failed judiciary, disgraceful substandard roads.
The list proves Malta is a third world country compared to the rest of Europe - is there no one in government capable of taking strong action to right these wrongs?
Steve Rogers
Sep 13th 2009, 12:47
Well what do you expect? MEPA progressively disbanded its Environment Inspectorate. First it stopped recruiting new inspectors, then it disenfranchised the few hardworking inspectors it had and made them leave. And the Assistant Director heading the Inspectorate is retiring soon with no replacement insight.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 13th 2009, 12:46
How can we continue to have faith in this administration, every time our Government addresses the public it speaks about how important the environment is for this Government, yet hardly any of the actions or decisions taken reflect this.
Karen Zammit Manduca
Sep 13th 2009, 12:44
The same seems to have happened with the number given to report Environment Management Building Site regulation infringements.
I recently tried to call this number to report infringements on several sites but have had no success! I thought it may have been due to the heat.....
J Oatmon
Sep 13th 2009, 11:23
I wonder if there are any government departments which are competent in Malta?
It seems wherever you look there is incompetence, possible corruption, poor attendance, and a general dis-service to the public - in fact 'anything goes' is the main attitude.
There seems to be an attitude of passing the buck - 'it's not my job' or 'it's not our job' - what a disgrace!
michael fenech
Sep 13th 2009, 10:55
There is TOTAL confusion in every GOVERNMENT department.
Mr GONZIPN please do something or do us all a BIG favour, STEP DOWN.
C.Agius
Sep 13th 2009, 10:34
SHAME ! Why on earth are people asked to co-operate ? SHAME!SHAME!SHAME!
Paroli biss
Michael Porter
Sep 13th 2009, 10:14
Dan l-ahhar hsibt li konna missejna l-qieh....pero b'dan l-artiklu sirt naf li kien ghad fadal biex immissuh!! Wasalna tghid? Froga wara l-ohra....