Chemical disposal inquiry board members’ names under wraps

The government will not divulge the names of the people appointed to an inquiry board tasked to investigate allegations that Enemalta illegally disposed of a chemical by burning it in an open field.

Minister Gatt will reply to questions during investigations

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech ordered the permanent secretary in his ministry to set up the inquiry board two weeks ago after details of the alleged illegal activity emerged in the media.

However, while confirming that the board was, in fact, appointed, a ministry spokesman yesterday said that “no further comments will be made while the investigation is in progress”.

The Times asked who the members of the board were and whether Mr Fenech will also be testifying as part of the inquiry. Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat recently called for the minister to be investigated to determine what he knew and what he did not know about the incident. Dr Muscat called for the Prime Minister to intervene.

Enemalta falls under the Finance Ministry’s portfolio but when the alleged incident happened in September 2009 the energy provider was answerable to the Investments Ministry, led by Austin Gatt.

Dr Gatt, who is now IT minister, is also keeping silent about whether he was aware of Enemalta’s alleged illegal activity at the time.

“Minister Gatt will reply to questions during investigations,” an IT Ministry spokesman said.

In 2009, Enemalta is alleged to have instructed some of its employees to dispose of 10 barrels containing 450 gallons of the chemical Mercaptan by burning it in a field on the outskirts of Rabat that belongs to the St Paul’s fireworks factory.

Mercaptan is a smelly gas that is added to LPG household gas to give it its odour.

At the time of the alleged burning there were numerous reports of a bad smell in various parts of Malta, the cause of which was never identified. Enemalta had assured the public there was no danger and none of its sites were leaking.

Two weeks ago, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority confirmed it did not authorise any burning of hazardous chemicals in an open field and launched a separate investigation into the matter.