It is depressing even to consider whether the health and safety of people living next to a shipyard in a dense urban area should take priority over the commercial interests of a private company. It is even more alarming that no public authority has so far taken any effective action to address the health and safety concerns of the people of Cottonera.
The news that 141 residents living in Cottonera and surrounding areas have written to the Environment and Resources Authority calling for the authority to regulate and monitor the hours when the Palumbo-MSC shipyard can carry out noisy operations is an eye-opener.
For centuries, the people of Cottonera had to put up with the gross inconvenience of living next to a military shipyard that was later commercialised and, more recently, privatised.
In their letter, these residents, who undoubtedly echoed the concerns of thousands of other residents, complained about the “extreme noise” emitted throughout the late night and early morning.
The residents claim that the police have, “on more than one occasion, responded to complaining residents that they cannot enforce anything given the nature of the shipyard’s business”.
The ball is now clearly in the politicians’ court. The Environment and Resources Authority is also bound to protect the environment and, more importantly, the human fabric of the Cottonera community.
The Palumbo-MSC shipyard, which was granted a long lease on the former Malta Shipyards area more than a decade ago, reacted to the residents’ complaints by saying that it was “baffled” by their letter and insisted it had nothing to hide.
It added that no foul smells emanate from the shipyard and air quality is marked as ‘fair’ on the ERA website.
Palumbo said the shipyard was taken over 13 years ago and since then completely upgraded the operations in the interests of the community, the environment, and our clients.
It even welcomed residents to go to the main gate and personally report any “one-off instances” of noise, which it promised to address at once.
“However, we cannot be blamed for everything that happens in the port,” it said.
Of course, it is not the operator’s fault that it acquired a shipyard which has been located in the middle of a densely-populated area for decades. But clearly, the shipyard’s assurances appear to be not doing much to placate the residents.
Only an independent health and safety assessment conducted by a credible professional entity will determine who is right on the risks to which the Cottonera residents are exposed.
The value added that the shipyard contributes to the economy needs to be weighed against the health risks.
It was a mistake for the then administration to give so much valuable land for heavy industry activity rather than promote it for a more viable and sustainable activity that gave better socio-economic benefits to the community. Times have also changed and environmental and health concerns have rightly been elevated to the top of the country’s agenda.
The Cottonera community has not insisted on the shipyards being closed down. Still, this is something that needs to be explored in discussions with the government. This would, of course, potentially come at a huge financial cost.
But what cost is there to residents’ health and wellbeing, especially in a densely-populated area? They have suffered long enough from the presence of heavy industry in their area.