Updated: Are carcasses being stored?

(Adds Wasteserv's reaction)

The government should say whether it was true that carcasses were being stored because the Marsa abattoir was not operational, the Labour Party's spokesman for the environment, Leo Brincat, said.

He said that if this was the case, the government should say what had stopped the abattoir and what led to this situation.

Mr Brincat said the government should also tell the public how many times had this plant stopped and for how long since it has been set up.

In a statement Wasteserv said it was normal that interventions and tests were carried out on an incinerator to see that it was working properly. It said the incinerator was stopped for testing every six weeks.

Wasteserv said that according to information given in a parliamentary question, nine interventions were carried out on the incinerator between January and November last year. At this time, the waste was placed in cold storage and was later treated in the incinerator. It was not stopped in December but was stopped for routine maintenance in January.

Some interventions were carried out yesterday but it was fully operational in the afternoon.