Grit-blasting is integral to all shipyard operations and has been carried out continually and without interruption for many years, Palumbo Shipyards said this morning.
Referring to an article in timesofmalta.com and The Times about an order Mepa's order to the company to stop the procedure following complaints by residents and yacht owners, Palumbo said it had introduced numerous safety enhancements to ensure that any inconvenience was minimised.
The activity, it said, was safe and consonant with accepted practices Europe-wide. This, the company said, would be shown to all competent authorities at the appropriate time.
"Palumbo is aware of and will seek to abide by its neighbourly obligations but at the same time has a paramount duty to ensure that the interests of its stakeholders, including the employees who earn a living within the shipyards, are not prejudiced by issues that have never been raised before and that have no basis in law or in fact," the company said.
See also:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101231/local/shipyards-told-to-stop-polluting-with-hazardous-grit-blasting