Animal carcasses have been left decomposing in the sun at the Marsa incinerator, causing a stench so unbearable it made people vomit and even prompted the foreign clients of a nearby boating facility to pack up and leave.

The stench is damaging businesses and affecting their employees, an angry Paul Abela, advisor to one of the companies in the area, MMH Holdings Limited, said.

He said one of the main offshore clients of the Mediterranean Maritime Hub, operated by MMH Holdings, had received instructions from abroad to leave the facility on Wednesday after employees complained about the foul smell that was leaving them unable to breathe.

Described as “disgusting and sickening”, the stench that sometimes comes out of Wasteserv’s thermal treatment plant is a perennial problem in Marsa and has persisted for years.  Wasteserv insists it is carrying out "substantial work" to eliminate the problem. 

“The past nine days have been unbearable. We’ve had enough of the authorities taking us for a ride,” Abela said yesterday when Times of Malta went on site.

“And it’s not only us they’re fooling but Marsa residents and those of neighbouring towns like Paola. The situation has reached a point where it’s unacceptable.”

Rabbit carcasses covered in flies. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Skips containing animal carcasses could be seen at the site, including what looked like skinned rabbits covered in flies. Dried blood covered the ground around a skip. A cow lay inside one of them, uncovered, while at least two dead horses were spotted in similar skips on Wednesday, MMH employees said.

Built in 2007, the incinerator handles all the island’s abattoir and clinical waste, as well as refuse-derived fuel and other waste such as industrial sludge. An autoclave – a pressure chamber capable of extracting animal fat from carcasses – was added in 2016, designed to help Malta reach its sustainable energy strategy.

Abela on Thursday called for immediate action from the authorities, saying they had done nothing about the problem for years. He said some of his employees had been taken ill and others were vomiting from the smell.

Wasteserv’s thermal treatment plant in Marsa.

MMH employs 100 people and part of its grounds are a “no-go” area due to the foul smell.

“We have been fighting this battle for five years. We filed a judicial protest and judicial letters in court. We’ve had countless meetings but nothing has changed because nobody means business. There’s no respect for people.”

He said the Environment and Resources Authority and the Environmental Health Department had visited the site in the past but there was no improvement.

“The irony is that the same ministry responsible for this mess would fine you if you took your garbage bag out two hours before you should,” Abela said.

“This area of Marsa was and will remain a dumpsite and it’s useless making it Malta’s Capital of Culture,” he added.

A spokesperson for Wasteserv told Times of Malta yesterday that its facility in Marsa was not the only source of the smell. But she said the company was carrying out “substantial work” to eliminate the odours, with an investment of over €4 million in all.

The works include the installation of several air treatment plants around the facility to capture odours at source and treat them effectively.

A shed is being installed over the waste marshalling area to enclose and seal it off.

The autoclave plant is being sealed off with additional chambers within the shed and all apertures and doors will be upgraded, as would steam generation at the autoclave plant, she said.

This area of Marsa was and will remain a dumpsite and it’s useless making it Malta’s Capital of Culture

“Works on these upgrades have been going on for over a year and the result will start being experienced next year. WasteServ has also purchased a large number of refrigerated containers that are used to store materials in line with the required standards,” the spokesperson said.

“I assure you of our highest commitment to eliminate all inconvenience,” she added.

Wasteserv is also working on compliance in an effort to improve the quality of incoming material since carcasses were being received in bad condition and were “the main source of smell”.

“Through our work on enforcement and registered improvements, this problem will be solved with the investment [being made],” she said.