Labour, AD ask for publication of waste management studies

The Labour Party and Alternattiva Demokratika called on the government to publish studies referred to in its consultation document on a solid waste management strategy.

The two parties stressed that for effective consultation to take place the public had to have access to all the information, which meant the reports had to be made available to get a clear picture of the situation.

The strategy, launched for consultation on January 23 and is open for eight weeks, includes the installation of an incinerator at Delimara and two pre-treatment plants in Għallis and in Gozo.

Labour environment spokesman Leo Brincat said that although more than four weeks had passed since the consultation process was launched, the government failed to make public several studies it referred to in its report.

This was echoed by AD's spokes-man on sustainable development, Carmel Cacopardo, who said selective parts of the reports that had been quoted or referred to in the consultation document published recently by the ministry were missing.

AD said it had requested information in terms of the Aarhus Convention of which Malta is a signatory. Among other things it asked for the situation audit of the solid waste management strategy carried out in 2005 and the report on agricultural waste management.

The Nationalist Party said it was in the public interest for Labour to reveal who its consultants appointed to analyse the strategy were. These people could have a possible conflict of interest but Labour was choosing to keep such information hidden from the public.

In response, Mr Brincat said the Labour Party was willing to protect all its consultants who chose to help out voluntarily. "When you help the Nationalist Party, many times you get to further your career but when you help the Labour Party you become a sacrificial lamb," he said yesterday.