Mepa had approved a request to renew an environmental permit, known as IPPC, for the Wastserv facility at Ghallis, limits of Naxxar.

The IPPC permit is needed for the landfill to operate.

A Wasteserv representative explained at a Mepa meeting this morning that all the cells were built according to regulation. Built in 2006, only 1.6 million cubic metres were used leaving another 1.5 million cubic metres that were unused.

The company requested a variation to be allowed a daily cover of inert waste of 19,000 metric tonnes. This was always being removed from the site to cut down on material entering the site.

Planning officer Thomas Paris said the main issue was use of inert material as daily cover when geosynthetic material was required. 

A number of inspections were carried out. The issue of mixed waste had improved and an area of segregation to clean off the mixed waste, was created.

Mepa also approved another request by Wasteserv involving variations to a previous permit for the landfill. The changes involve alteration of the boundary, reorganisation of access and hazardous waste reorientation.

The previous permit was approved in 2006 and the landfill should have been exhausted but Wastserv sought an extension of its lifetime by seven years. 

It was explained that the facility could take more waste  as the waste would decompose and resettle. 

The maximum excavation would be of 25 metres in the area that is going to be  extended. In the other areas, the depth would be increase by five metres.

Johann Buttigieg, case officer, said the landfill was taking in more waste. The footprint was going to increase by 43,000 square metres of which around 12,000 would be an extension.

If this application was not approved then another site was going to be needed for the waste, he said.

More than 7,000 trees will be planted at the bunds to create a screen.