Anti-landfills petition to be presented in Parliament

Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando will walk into Parliament tomorrow with a petition containing 13,000 signatures demanding that the proposal to construct two temporary landfills in the vicinity of Mnajdra be rejected.

The petition which was collected by scores of residents, especially in the Siggiewi and Zebbug area, is expected to take some of the PN backbencher's colleagues by surprise.

A number of residents are also expected to be outside the Palace at 6 p.m. tomorrow distributing leaflets and explaining their cause.

Dr Pullicino Orlando has been at loggerheads with Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit who had announced a proposal to use two quarries at the limits of Qrendi as temporary landfills for domestic waste.

The quarries will be used for about two years, until another site at Ghallis, in the limits of Naxxar, is ready to replace Maghtab, which will be closed by the time Malta joins the EU in May.

Government has always contended that the selected site was only a proposal so far, pending the outcome of an Environment Impact Assessment.

Dr Pullicino Orlando yesterday told The Sunday Times that anywhere, other than the Mnajdra surroundings, was a better alternative.

He is contending that the earmarked quarries are located too close to a prehistoric temple and that the quarries were a three-sided receptacle which meant there was the risk of a spillover.

There was also a natural spring under the quarry, which meant there was a risk of contamination, Dr Pullicino Orlando contended.

He asked why money was going to be spent on a landfill which would ultimately close down.

He said that following the Malta-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting held on Monday, it was worth noting that both the European Commission and the European Parliament were scrutinising the issue of the landfills.

"We mustn't be childish about it and insist on going ahead until the EU or Unesco put a halt to our plans," he said.

Dr Pullicino Orlando denied that he was a voice in the wilderness and once again reiterated that he had the backing of other MPs and party officials.

"If the proposal goes through, and people start pointing fingers at us, I know my conscience will be clean.

"I don't feel comfortable staying mum. My ultimate aim is to avoid any harm to my country, government and party - I form part of all three," he said.