Mepa is to introduce a set of regulations on blasting in quarries, chairman Austin walker said today.

Addressing the press, he said the guidelines will come into force through environmental permits which will be granted to the quarry operators.

They will place responsibility on the owners and Mepa-approved independent monitors who would be hired by the quarry owners. The guidelines will regulate  vibrations and air overpressure dispersion.

There are 22 quarries which are licensed to extract stone through blasting, but only 12 actually use blasting.

The activity is also regulated by the Explosives Ordnance Act.

Permits will continue to be issued by the police after consultation with Mepa and the Malta Resources Authority.

Mr Walker said blasting was a regular source of complaint by people who lived near quarries. A public consultation was held in June last year and the feedback from residents and operators was 'reasonably good', Mr Walker said.

The chairman said that before any blasting, the quarry owners will have to provide a method statement with the exact location of the blast in the quarry. The method statement has to observe a number of thresholds governing the air overpressure and ground vibration.

No blasting can take place before Mepa approval.

After the blasts, the operator has, within five days, to hand over the independent report.

Regarding the potential conflict of interest created by the quarry owners hiring the independent monitors, Mr Walker pointed out that the values were calculated by machines.