Marsa scrapyard accumulated €61,000 in ERA fines
Environment and Resources Authority says actions show strict adherence to the law
The environmental watchdog has pushed back at suggestions of lax enforcement at a Marsa scrapyard that has been engulfed by two massive fires in four years.
A spokesperson for the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) said scrapyard operators JAC Steel have in the past been fined a total of €61,000, faced forfeiture of a €9,000 bank guarantee and received multiple stop and compliance orders as well as enforcement notices.
These actions, the spokesperson said, demonstrate the authority’s strict adherence to the law, with evidence-based assessments and a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance.
The scrapyard has caught fire twice, once in 2021 and again in November. Since the first fire in 2021, the authority said it carried out hundreds of inspections on the site to ensure the facility reaches compliance.
Each inspection produced “detailed reports of shortcomings” that mandated immediate corrective actions.
Common irregularities included repairs to boundary walls, proper sorting of waste, and safe storage of different waste categories. Where the operator failed to act, ERA said it imposed fines and stop notices without hesitation.
The operators had their permit renewed in 2022 following the inspections, the authority spokesperson said.
“Claims that the authority renewed this permit in 2022 despite breaches are untrue, as operators that reach compliance standards at law qualify for an environmental permit for their activities,” the spokesperson said.
Since 2022, another 37 follow-up inspections were carried out at the scrapyard, leading to administrative fines, stop and compliance orders, and “clear instructions” to address non-compliance, the spokesperson said.
The authority said the permit included specific guidance on the storing of waste in designated areas, and specific provisions to store batteries, oils, vehicles and other such dangerous waste.
It said fire safety measures are not part of the authority’s mandate, nor part of the compliance standards required for an environmental permit.
“Irrespective of this, ERA did recommend that the operator implement fire-safety measures, for which JAC Steel engaged an independent fire engineer to provide fire contingency planning.
“These reports indicate all the necessary fire prevention measures that have to be implemented in consultation with the Civil Protection Department for their oversight,” the spokesperson said.
An animal feed cooperative next door to the Marsa scrapyard says it has long contended with scrap metal falling into its property and hazardous oils leaching in when it rains.
The dangers were highlighted in a December 2024 judicial protest filed against scrapyard operators JAC Steel and Occupational Health and Safety Authority.
Koperattiva Produtturi tal-Ħalib said in the protest that the piles of scrap metal frequently exceeded the height of a dividing wall between the two properties by a significant margin.
It urged the authorities to act before anyone got hurt.