The agency managing the Għallis engineered landfill has rejected claims of resorting to bad waste management practices to cut expenses.

Magħtab residents, however, have complained that bad smells emanating from the landfill have increased substantially in recent months.

Pictures taken last week show what appears to be recyclable waste being dumped at the landfill, while drainage sludge is being left to dry in the open air for days, though this is considered contrary to good industrial practice.

‘Good’ wood dumped rather than recycled.

Experts claimed that drainage sludge – residue emanating from the sewage treatment facilities – is being dumped at the Għallis facility without being covered with inert waste as soon as it gets there.

Also, some of the sludge is being left uncovered for days, increasing the bad smells in the area.

According to the experts, waste that should be recycled, including wood and refuse-driven fuel, which is normally exported, is being dumped in the landfill.

Sources said it was difficult to investigate reports that measures were being taken to cut corners and reduce the expenditure on the management of the landfill, because it was only accessible to those authorised by Wasteserv. However, they added, the smells had become more pronounced and people in the area were noticing it.

“The smells have increased dramatically over the past months, and we don’t know why. When we complain to Wasteserv, they tell us to shut the windows,” said a Magħtab resident who has been living the area for the past 12 years.

When contacted, a spokeswoman for Wasteserv denied that the agency was cutting corners to reduce expenses.

Asked whether it was true that drainage sludge was being left uncovered, she said the material would have already stabilised by the time it reached Għallis and when it was eventually landfilled, it generated minimal odours. The spokeswoman insisted that “all waste that enters the Għallis landfill is covered by a layer of inert waste every day to minimise odours”.

With regard to wood being dumped rather than recycled, the Wasteserv official noted that priority was given to reuse. “However, not all wood can be recycled,” she said. “Wood that has been treated, painted, stained or contaminated is not appropriate for recycling and has to be disposed of at the landfill.”

Asked about the reports of refuse-driven fuel being dumped instead of exported, the spokeswoman said that “given that Malta does not have a waste-to-energy facility (incinerator), RDF is partly exported at a cost and partly stored at the Magħtab environmental complex for future use”.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com