The Maltese people, especially residents around Birżebbuġa and Marsaxlokk, must be assured that their life is safe and that the new LNG plant is a safe operation. They deserve assurance that, in case of an accident, contingency plans are in place to safeguard their lives and all their possessions. They want assurance from the authorities and the LNG company management that all operations are conducted safely and that plans are in place in case of a major incident or disaster.

They must know that management will be held accountable and that safety is taken seriously at all levels of the operations.

Accountability measures must include both fines and also imprisonment if necessary.

I believe these issues are of extreme importance. Safety and accountability should be given the highest priority.

A vulnerability assessment must also be conducted. What regulations are in place to address sabotage or terrorism? How would the justice system work in such cases? Has the assessment of vulnerability indexes been conducted by Umberto Maffezzoli? Has he visited Malta and does he know the island well? Or is information just passed to him by others?

A security vulnerability assessment must include all parties. It must be conducted with local councils, the central government and other organisations, including the operator of the vessel itself.

Most importantly, the groups which must be part of a vessel security assessment and the vulnerability assessment must include the armed forces, the fire department, the police, all first responders and medical personnel. Mock exercises must be held to train for a mass casualty incident involving hazardous materials, sabotage or even terrorism.

How many residents or MPs have thought of conducting such assessments? The Maltese want peace of mind.

Preparation is the key.

I believe all Maltese want this project to succeed. After all, this project affects every Maltese. This is about doing the job safely the first time.