Malta has enough space to handle construction waste for years, the environment minister insisted on Monday, even as Infrastructure Malta stopped road works on 130 sites, saying it had nowhere to dump debris.

The issue came to a head last Friday when the agency ordered its contractors to stop works as from Monday.

According to the notice, the suspension will remain in force until the Environment and Resources Authority addresses the situation of construction waste.

But in a reaction issued, ERA said 31 quarries were licensed to accept construction, development and inert waste, six of which were permitted to recycle construction waste only.

It also pointed out that it was in the process of licensing even more quarries for construction waste.

Enough spare capacity for ‘years to come’

Minister Aaron Farrugia.

Asked for his reaction, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said a review carried out last year by ERA showed there was enough capacity for the dumping of construction waste for a number of years.

“The exercise showed that quarries have available space for the disposal of waste from the construction industry for years to come, more so if waste management and recycling practices are observed,” he said.

Farrugia added that the construction industry was free to use the quarry spaces “at the current market price”. In this respect he emphasised that contractors who are also quarry owners were expected to make such space available.

Prices to dump construction waste have almost doubled over the past year, rising from around €8 to €15 per tonne.

Construction of the new Santa Luċija underpass also ground to a halt. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

What about land reclamation?

Last year the developers association called for dumping at sea in an area designated for land reclamation.  

Asked if this was an option as part of the government’s long-term solution, the environment minister did not commit himself. He said that the option to dump clean geological material in the sea had been available since 1997.

“Before such dumping is considered, the ERA expects the source of the material to be controlled and where necessary analysed to make sure that the material is clean and inert,” he said. 

Such operations had to be monitored by independent environment experts to ascertain that only the allowed amount of excavated material was disposed of at sea, he said.

Works at 130 sites stopped

An Infrastructure Malta spokesman told Times of Malta that works at 130 sites had been stopped. These included road reconstruction and maintenance works in over 105 residential and rural roads, major projects in arterial thoroughfares and maritime infrastructure works.

Sites affected by this situation include the Marsa junction, the Central Link Project, the Santa Luċija underpass project, the new ferry landing sites in Sliema and Cospicua, the Qrejten breakwater project in Marsaxlokk and the upgrading of the fishing facilities at Gozo’s Mġarr harbour.

The spokesman said Infrastructure Malta was calling on the authorities to introduce sustainable solutions to handle the waste management requirements of infrastructure projects, so that it could resume works. 

Works on residential roads such as this one in Għargħur also had to stop. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The agency has instructed its contractors to make sure that prior to stopping works, all sites were adequately secured to minimise health and safety risks and inconveniences to residents, commuters and workers in surrounding areas.

Individuals who come across difficulties at any of the agency’s sites can request assistance by calling on 2334 1000 or sending an email to info.im@infrastructuremalta.com.