Nationalist EP candidate Alan Deidun has called for a mature debate about incineration rather than confrontation.

The government was consulting the top experts in the field and would eventually consult environmental NGOs, he said.

Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) or the energy derived from controlled combustion of waste, was considered as clean energy if preceded by waste separation.

“ Some argue that a pro-incineration culture is an indictment of government’s failure to implement the three R’s. A scenario in which waste generation is controlled would indeed be utopic, but decisions must be taken in the short term to address the ever increasing quantities of waste,” Dr Deidun said.

He said the PL should declare its position on the matter and not just react to the Marsaxlokk proposal, for political mileage purposes.

“If the PL is against incineration, can it at least state where would it locate the next engineered landfill? This question is legitimate since the proposed RDF facility would greatly extend the lifetime of the current engineered landfill which would otherwise be full to capacity within a few years, hence precluding the need to scar another agricultural area to excavate yet another engineered landfill.

“If the PL does not completely exclude incineration, where does it propose to site the RDF facility?”

He said this risked turning into yet another Sant’Antnin waste treatment facility saga, with the PL shooting down the proposal and failing to express itself on any alternatives.

“Predictably, the fears engendered in the Marsascala community by the PL on such a facility have not materialised and the issue has nowadays faded into oblivion,” he said.