The Rabat local council will be discussing starting a petition to stop a quarry from bellowing out dust to the inconvenience of residents.

Over the past years, the quarry, located in the Santa Katerina area, within the limits of Rabat, was used to store construction material. A giant mountain of this construction material formed over the years, visible from the surrounding areas.

Residents have long been complaining that, apart from creating an eyesore, their homes get engulfed in dust on windy days, said Rabat mayor Sandro Craus.

“We have reached the limit now. It seems to be expanding and, every time there is some wind, the dust gets blown into people’s homes. Residents have long been complaining about the air quality and about the constant trucks passing by,” he said.

The local council is expected to discuss starting a petition at its next meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The petition will aim to pressure the authorities into stopping any irregularities and minimising dust and pollution.

Craus said the local council is already in contact with the Planning Authority and the Environment and Resources Authority to try to solve the problem.

Paul Falzon, owner of Tlata Limited that owns the quarry, said the quarry was used to recycle construction material. Stones and debris from demolished buildings were taken there and cut into smaller pieces or crushed to be reused.

He said the mound of material will be “cut and removed”, adding that the company also made sure to wet the area daily to contain the dust. Furthermore, the company was working on restoring the quarry, Falzon noted.

Questions sent to the Environment and Resources Authority asking what concrete action was being taken and whether there were illegalities remained unanswered.

This was not the first quarry to cause this type of inconvenience to residents.

Times of Malta reported last month how dust from a gigantic pile of construction sand stored at the Attard Wied Inċita quarry was being blown over neighbouring areas causing “great inconvenience” to residents of Attard and Żebbuġ.

Quarry owner Michael Bugeja took action by removing the sand that had to be temporarily placed on higher ground.