The planning authority has asked the shipyard and two companies handling grain and cement in Grand Harbour to obtain environmental permits and meet their green obligations, Times of Malta has learnt.
This would require significant investment for the two companies as both were “heavy polluters” in the port area, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s industry permitting head, Michael Sant, told this newspaper.
Valletta Gateway Terminals, which manages the entire port area, was also asked to file an application.
Mr Sant said this was in line with Mepa’s efforts to address environmental permitting and bring about a culture change in the environmental aspect of any industrial operation.
He strongly denied that the regulator had stepped up its action as a result of the outcry that ensued earlier this year when a company wanted to start competing in the cement industry. UC Limited was forced to obtain an environmental permit to operate the fully-enclosed cement silo it built at Laboratory Wharf, in Kordin. Mepa had tried blocking the first consignment of cement but the company fought back, saying it had all permits in order to build the silo and so it did not make sense then not to allow it to operate.
“You cannot give me a permit to build a house and, once it’s built, expect me to file a separate application to live in it,” UC Ltd lawyer Paul Lia had told the court that was hearing an application to stop the planning authority from blocking the consignment.
Kordin Grain Terminal has submitted its environmental permit application and discussions are under way as it will require substantial investment to upgrade its technologies to control dust, especially in the handling of grain during the delivery of consignments,” Mr Sant said.
He added that the grain terminal’s open conveyor belt system “needed to change”, noting there were more modern, safer and cleaner technologies.
Central Cement is being asked to get its act together to eliminate a “history of operations with significant dust levels”. A “huge plume” was usually seen when operations were under way because everything was carried out in the open, he said. He said Palumbo, the operators of the drydocks, had also submitted an application for an environmental permit and talks were under way.
Mr Sant believes that the mentality change with regard to environmental permitting was happening because companies were becoming more aware of their obligations. Moreover, foreign clients are asking companies for their environmental credentials and some are approaching Mepa voluntarily asking for an environment permit.
“We cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach as much as we cannot have a healthy environment without a healthy industry. We understand that we need to give industry the space to develop but we also need to give it time. It’s like pruning a tree. You don’t prune it to kill it but you prune it to help it grow. That is what we are here for,” Mr Sant said.