The Malta Environment and Planning Authority said yesterday it had sealed off an illegal scrap yard overlooking the picturesque Wied Żembaq in Birżebbuġa to stop more scrap metal from being deposited there.
The measure was taken pending a court ruling on a request for a prohibitory injunction filed by the owner against Mepa, which wants the yard removed.
The yard is surrounded by areas of ecological and archaeological importance, including Borġ in-Nadur and Għar Dalam.
The authority said it also took action this week to stop the illegal dumping of waste in Tal-Marġ, the valley lying between Mtarfa and Rabat.