Malta needs to officially ask the Italian government on whether plans exist for the building of nuclear facilities in Sicily, Alternattiva Demokratika said today.
It noted that according to reports in the newspaper Metro, Palma and Termini Imerese in Sicily were on a secret list of 10 possible sites for nuclear power stations.
"It would seem that the Sicilian Governor Lombardo has already given the go-ahead for the siting of a nuclear plant in Sicily. The Maltese government should wake up from its slumber and ask Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and Sig. Lombardo to inform the Maltese authorities immediately of what is happening," AD chairman Arnold Cassola said.
Carmel Cacopardo AD spokesman on sustainable development, said the trans-boundary impacts of a nuclear power station around 200 km away from Maltese shores could be substantial.
"It therefore needs to be ensured that all impacts are thoroughly examined in an environment impact assessment." He hoped the Maltese governemnt would act to safeguard Malta's interests.