Council’s bid to stop ‘illegalities’

The Attard local council yesterday filed a judicial protest against the owners of a quarry in Wied Inċita.

Mayor Stefan Cordina said the council was protesting on behalf of the residents against the quarry owners – Rainbow Mix Concrete Sand and Gravel Ltd – who allegedly built an illegal brick-­manufacturing factory and allowed rubble and debris mounds to exceed permissible heights.

A sub-committee, set up four years ago, discussed with the owners issues including dust pollution and the allegedly illegal building of a bridge to join the quarry in Attard to one in Żebbuġ. The bridge, the council claimed, was increasing traffic in residential streets.

The companies' actions, the council said, were “abusive” and detrimental to the valley and were causing major environmental damage.

It noted that this judicial protest followed two others filed in June 2009 against the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the Commissioner of Land.

The local council had filed the protest against Mepa for failing to address over-dumping, illegal construction on public land and the building of the factory without the necessary permits.

Mr Cordina said the planning authority had even issued enforcement notices that it failed to implement.

The protest against the Land Commissioner was filed because Sand and Gravel Ltd had overstepped its land concession during the quarrying process.

The council insisted it did not want to stop the companies’ operation but wanted them to work within the parameters of the law and, at the same time, take care of the valley.

It said that over the years it had expressed its concern with the owners, however, the debris stockpiles continued to rise and the illegalities continued.

The valley rehabilitation never took place and the planning authority failed to issue target dates for such rehabilitation, the council argued.