Nearly five million tonnes of dredging material and construction debris have been dumped at sea since 2003, official figures from the Environment Resources Authority reveal.

The figure is more than double the construction waste generated in 2017.

Since 2003, when records started to be kept, 4.713 million tonnes of construction waste and dredging material have been dumped at sea. It was generated from port activities as well as large developments like Smart City.

Most of the waste was dumped at the official spoil ground site, located to the east of the island, off Grand Harbour.

There have been large yearly fluctuations, from a million tonnes in 2012 to a mere 16,000 tonnes in 2016. 2019 is not included in the figures.

The issue of dumping at sea came under the spotlight in a recent disagreement between Infrastructure Malta and the Environment Ministry.

Some 130 road projects ground to a halt after Infrastructure Malta complained that quarries licenced to receive construction waste had reached full capacity.

The ERA refuted the claim and it then transpired that the real issue was the tariffs being charged by quarry owners, which have now been capped.

In the middle of the dispute, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said the government was exploring the idea of dumping construction waste at sea, prompting concerns for the marine environment.

However, he also pointed out that the option was not new and had been resorted to before in line with environmental safeguards, one example being the waste from Smart City.

Late last year, ERA launched a public consultation as it draws up a construction and demolition waste strategy for Malta.

When asked about it, an ERA spokesperson said the submissions received were being reviewed but he did not provide a timeframe.

“The Environment Resources Authority has proposed a strategy for the management of construction waste with proposals to reduce and reuse such material in a manner that promotes a circular economy,” he said.

He added the authority would be working with the environment ministry and other entities to develop a framework that supports sustainable management of this resource.

The Malta Developers Association has been calling on government to consider dumping of construction waste at sea.

The ERA is proposing to reduce the volume through separation at source, which would facilitate recycling of parts of the waste.

The draft strategy also speaks of a study to be carried out on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the designated offshore spoil ground and its surrounding area.

This would help determine the true cost of dumping at sea and whether there is need to extend the site.

The document also refers to a study of the feasibility and environmental impacts of land reclamation.