Cement wash and cow urine are contaminating the scenic Ħal Farruġ valley following a prolonged leak at a concrete factory belonging to Polidano Brothers and dumping of animal excrement from a neighbouring cow farm, The Sunday Times of Malta has discovered.

The cement leak was so big that it flooded fields adjacent to the factory to such an extent that certain parts turned into solid concrete.

But the cement is only one part of the problem. Huge volumes of cow urine were being dumped in the same fields from an adjacent farm, washing down into the valley and raising concerns over contamination of the water table.

The damage was discovered following an investigation by this newspaper that started in December, in the wake of complaints about strange odours in certain parts of the valley behind the Polidano Brothers installations.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority was alerted to the evidence and the developers were ordered to clean up and restore the fields.

The farm owner, George Borg, known as ir-Ruman, on the other hand, refused to acknowledge his part in the pollution even after he was confronted with evidence of a pipe leading from the fields straight to an open cesspit, at the back of his cattle farm.

Mepa discovers pipe from cesspit to fields

Mepa enforcement officers had received reports in the past about the dumping of the urine in the area and had even spoken to Mr Borg. But they never managed to prove it was taking place.

However, during a joint onsite visit last week, a pipe was discovered, leading from the fields into Mr Borg’s cesspit – a reservoir the size of a large swimming pool, full to the brim with animal excrement and urine.

The Mepa officers decided to confront Mr Borg immediately but while they spoke to him at the front of the farm, three employees ran to the back where the pipe was located, threatening and chasing journalists from this newspaper, which was collecting evidence.

A spokesman for the authority said Mepa has now called in the Health Inspectorate and the Agriculture Directorate to investigate further the potential damage to the area caused by the urine. In the meantime, spontaneous checks are being carried out.

Polidano Brothers are not aware of this overflow

As for Polidano Brothers, the authority said the spill occurred because the company had for a long time failed to clean culverts designed to drain the cement wash into a special reservoir.

“The company agreed to carry out regular maintenance to these culverts and Mepa officials will inspect the site to ensure compliance,” the spokesman said.

A spokesman for Polidano Brothers said the company was “not aware of this overflow”, and cleaning works started immediately after the issue was flagged.

Works have been stalled due to bad weather but the spokesman said it would resume shortly and “it is estimated that the cleaning will be completed in the next few days, and the reinstating of the area [with fresh soil] in another couple of days”.

The Mepa spokesman did not say whether the authority would be taking any action against Polidano Brothers or the cow farm owner.

The spill is the latest example of environmental damage in the area, mostly perpetrated by the Polidano brothers, Paul and Charles, known as Ċaqnu.

In November, the authority swooped on the developers in an attempt to stop the sprawl of illegal developments, spread over more than 64,000 square metres in Ħal Farruġ.

The company took legal action to stop the authority but, in an unprecedented move, Charles Polidano later apologised and agreed to take remedial action.

On this point, the company spokesman yesterday said: “As promised by Charles Polidano to the Prime Minister, the group is cooperating with the authorities.”

He said the company had deployed workers at several sites to demolish illegal structures and restore some of the areas slapped with enforcement notices.

The company, however, is still hoping to have some illegal developments sanctioned and is in negotiations with the planning authority.

The Polidano Brothers spokesman complained that the authority had failed to process a number of planning applications for the Montekristo estate that would have implemented “Mr Polidano’s vision to enter in a private public partnership... to create a unique family entertainment and educational area. Offering children an experience to view different animal species, the possibility of milking cows and producing ricotta and cheese, together with other educational opportunities.”

He said Mr Polidano also planned to have an exhibition space for local artists in the area and “another area for the regeneration of extinct Maltese Animal Species together with the authorities”.

The brothers have been at the centre of controversy over environmental abuses for the best part of 20 years, during which they were the target of at least two major inquiry reports, which both lambasted Mepa for the way it handled the developers.

In Ħal Farruġ alone, the contractors built most of their headquarters and several large scale installations without having any permits. Eventually, most of the site was sanctioned when applications were filed after the buildings were erected.

Tuesday’s edition of Times Talk on TVM will discuss whether Mepa is toothless when faced with illegalities.

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