€50 million investment to stop dust emissions

Concrete company Blockrete will be investing €50 million in the coming years to reduce the dust emissions which have long irked Lija residents.

The company will be enclosing its production plant to drastically reduce dust emissions in a move that has been applauded by the Lija council and MEP Simon Busuttil, who owns a house in the village.

"This move sends a message to other contractors with similar factories to address dust emissions," mayor Ian Castaldi Paris said during a press conference.

Dr Busuttil, who has in the past spoken about the dust emissions problem in various localities, appealed to other contractors to reduce their emissions, adding that complaints did not only come from Lija residents.

"Any business activity needs to respect residents' rights," he said. A scientific study had shown that emissions from active stone quarries were 38 times higher than the highest international recommended levels.

Apart from the many complaints received by the local council against the dust emissions from Blockrete, Lija resident Michael Zammit took the issue to the European Commission in 2006, complaining about the noise and dust produced by the plant.

In the 1960s Mabel Strickland, who lived in the nearby Villa Parisio, took the plant to court over the white dust being whipped up by the wind.

Since then Blockrete has taken some measures to reduce the problem, moving the raw material towards the back of the 48-tumoli plant and using sprinklers to stop dust from being carried by the wind. It has also invested more than €2 million in machinery which reduces noise.

Blockrete director Joseph Fenech said the development was expected to take between five and 10 years to complete.

When asked whether he would apologise to Lija residents for the inconvenience over the years, Dr Fenech said the investment went beyond an apology.