The Polidano Group said today that it had substantially reinstated fields adjacent to its cement factory at Hal Farrug which The Sunday Times of Malta said were being contaminated by a massive leak of a cement mixture.

Polidano Group had accepted to restore the fields when the pollution was flagged to it, and works which began in recent weeks had to stop because of bad weather. However, in recent days, the company appears to have brought in fresh soil to replace the contaminated material which was dug out.

A spokesman for Polidano clarified that the slurry overflow incident was not a leak from a cement plant but a leak from the holding tank which collects waste water and sand residue from the plant which produces pre-stressed concrete elements.

The Group also complained that it had paid €220,000 in Mepa fees for applications dating back to 2009 and 2010 but, four years on, the applications had still not been processed and it was losing €15,000 in interest per annum.

The group did not say whether the applications were for new development or sanctioning, although it said it was not contesting the decisions taken, but the fact that its applications had been shelved prior to 2013.

The group said it remained committed to cooperating with the authorities with respect to enforcement notices issued by Mepa. A plan for remedial/reinstatement work was taken in hand in December and is continuing in seven locations. The works include cleaning. Reinstatement, removal of illegal structures, removal of scrap, cleaning of oil tanks and cleaning of sand slurry.

TimesTalk on TVM this evening (6.55 p.m.) will discuss whether Mepa has the willpower and the resources to deal with abuse.