Ministry again attacks MHRA over landfill claims

The Resources and Infrastructure Ministry yesterday accused the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, which is objecting to planned landfills, of failing to understand the government's waste management strategy.

The ministry said its technical experts were available to explain the detailed work underway.

The MHRA has taken a stand against the temporary landfills planned for sites near Mnajdra as well as the planned landfill at Ghallis. It says the choice of the quarries for the landfills seemed to have been taken hastily and without the necessary consultation.

The ministry said the proposed sites had been evaluated for their impact on tourism. "With Maghtab as it is, the tourism industry boomed to about 40 per cent of Malta's bed stock in the region. With this site closed, rehabilitated and a controlled engineered facility in place, there is no reason why this percentage should not be sustained, " the ministry said.

It said the findings of the environment impact assessment and detailed designs would be available for public consultation, and added that the EIA consultants, SLR of the UK, had an international track record.

The ministry said the developer and operator of the controlled engineered landfill would be identified and selected as part of the tender process of the solid waste management project of 2001.

The contract conditions were "thorough and exhaustive" and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority would undertake regular monitoring.

Traffic, dust and noise pollution would be thoroughly evaluated and discussed during the consultation phase.

The ministry denied that the use of existing quarries for a controlled engineered landfill was possible, as claimed by the MHRA.