The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has fined the contractor digging two trenches into the concrete quay at Balluta, St Julian’s, because a silt curtain was not used.

A spokesman for the regulator said the infringement, found following an investigation, breached conditions in the environment permit it had issued.

Times of Malta had originally been informed by the ERA on Friday that work on the quay in Balluta was in breach of the permit but it did not specify nor provide details of the illegalities found by its investigators during a site inspection.

The environment and resources watchdog had been asked whether trenching work on the quay, carried out by the developer as part of project to build a floating platform for a new venture consisting of a sea-based hop-on, hop-off maritime service, had been investigated and what action had been taken.

A spokesman had replied that the matter had been investigated and the work found to have been in breach of a nature permit issued by the ERA.

“The authority can confirm action has been taken over any breaches to permit conditions and is also considering issuing fines.

“The authority will continue to monitor [the works] to ascertain that permit conditions are strictly followed,” the spokesman told Times of Malta when asked.

However, when the item was published on Saturday, the spokesman clarified that the breach was actually the lack of a silt curtain and not the actual trenches.

The regulator had begun investigating the trenching work when the project’s objectors wrote to both the ERA and the Planning Authority demanding that immediate action be taken to stop ongoing work, claiming these were not covered by the permit.