Campaigners adamant on alternative site for waste plant

The Front Against the Sant'Antnin waste recycling plant as proposed will keep fighting MEPA's decision to have the plant in Marsascala, Paul Cutajar and Joe Sant, the organisation's chairman and secretary respectively, told The Sunday Times yesterday.

Mr Sant and Mr Cutajar were reacting to comments reported in The Times yesterday in which Labour leader Alfred Sant said that "a plant which works well in Sant'Antnin would be acceptable to the Labour Party."

The comment follows a statement issued by the party on Monday in which the MLP said it believed the plant in Marsascala can be modernised "but not enlarged".

Dr Sant's comment, the campaigners said, contrasts the fact that an appeal has been lodged against MEPA's recent decision to give the go-ahead to the plant's outline development plan, especially because the main objection is that there was no serious attempt to identify an alternative site.

Joe Sant said he would stick by the committee's mission statement and the petition signed by 8,000 people.

The mission statement, endorsed by the Front and other NGOs, the MLP, Alternattiva Demokratika and seven local councils, states that "since the plant will be practically rebuilt from scratch then it should be placed somewhere adequate, away from residential areas."

"We will stick by what we have been saying all along and will keep fighting for a fair site selection process which has not taken place so far. The site selection process which was carried out was flawed and we will keep fighting this," Mr Sant emphasised, adding "We will insist that the committee is loyal to the mission statement."

Attempts to contact committee chairman Marsascala mayor Charlot Mifsud were unsuccessful yesterday.