Enemalta did not oblige Polidano Brothers to ensure the waste from the dismantling of the Marsa power station, which included coal ash, was disposed of safely rather than illegally dumped at the Lapsi quarry.

The Sunday Times of Malta last week revealed that waste gathered from the dismantling of the Marsa power station was illegally dumped in the Lapsi quarry of Polidano Brothers, owned by construction magnate Charles Polidano known as Iċ-Ċaqnu.

It was Enemalta’s responsibility, as the producer, to ensure the safe disposal of the waste according to law.

It has emerged that Enemalta did not bother to check how Polidano Brothers would transport this waste and ensure its safe disposal.

The corporation said: “Enemalta always makes sure that any material taken from its facilities is disposed of safely.

“In this case, the company’s contractor was processing construction debris as per applicable regulations.

“As soon as the relevant authorities informed Enemalta that the construction debris being excavated from the site may contain traces of other materials, action was immediately taken and the necessary independent inquiries were made.”

Yet it was The Sunday Times of Malta that reported the waste at Lapsi quarry to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, which was not aware of it.

The authority immediately reprimanded Enemalta, which then commissioned an expert to analyse the waste and advise on its safe disposal.

Meanwhile, the waste had been dumped at the quarry for at least three weeks.

The pile of waste stored in an open environment is a mix of coal ash with other limestone construction debris, according to Mepa, which said the waste was classified as ‘non-hazardous’. The authority also confirmed Polidano Brothers had no permit to store such waste at the quarry.

Mepa did not issue an enforcement notice on the quarry. While awaiting the results of further tests, the authority ordered Polidano Brothers not to add any more waste to the pile or to use it anywhere.

Mepa has not imposed any punitive measures on either Enemalta or Polidano Brothers, but Siġġiewi mayor Karol Aquilina has demanded action.

In a letter to Environment Minister Leo Brincat, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and Mepa chairman Vince Cassar, Dr Aquilina said he was shocked at learning of the case reported in The Sunday Times of Malta. He pointed out Mepa had not taken any steps to remove the waste.

Speaking to this newspaper, Dr Aquilina said: “This is unacceptable. This is not the first time Polidano Brothers have done such a thing in our locality. The local council has been demanding that the quarry is closed and rehabilitated. The government has a responsibility to ensure waste generated from public entities is disposed of legally.”

In 2010, The Sunday Times of Malta exposed the fact that Polidano Brothers had for years illegally stored fly ash from the Marsa power station at its Siġġiewi quarry and was using it in buildings.

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