Ramblers and the real Scott Wilson

ramble vb 1. to stroll about freely, as for relaxation. 2. (of paths, streams etc.) to follow a winding course. ~n 3. a leisurely stroll, especially in the countryside.

Defenders of the countryside look set to form a new network of vigilantes. The aim is to combat bureaucracy in the face of escalating complaints over a lack of ramblers' rights. Mounting protest over indiscriminate occupation of land by squatters and bird trappers has led to the opening of a new chapter in this country's proud history of environmental movements.

In Valletta last week a banding together of people from all walks of life, intent on rambling through the remains of the Maltese countryside, packed the hall of Din l-Art Óelwa headquarters to brimming and spilled out into the stairway. The room was packed with people who came to fight for their right to ramble along country trails and coastal pathways.

As Maghtab boils and urban landscapes swallow up horizons, the last vestige for people who cherish nature - il-mixja fil-kampanja - is under siege. A wide cross-section of the public, including tourist guides, Scout leaders, divers and representatives of prominent NGOs such as Nature Trust and the Geographical Society, all spoke of their experience of intimidation of walkers in the countryside.

Ordinary people, tourists and youth leaders are fed up of the hostility they frequently encounter when trying to enjoy a walk in the countryside. The firing of guns and letting loose of fierce dogs to keep people away are among the main obstacles. In addition to these hindrances, there is the selfish barring of the pathways which formerly offered pleasant recreational walking routes to young and old.

Sanctioned or not, the taking over of sites is becoming the norm. Some sites are of historical value and the public should not be denied access to them. It is impossible to obtain specific guidelines from the authorities on the public's right to enjoy the countryside. No one seems willing to take responsibility.

According to Lino Bugeja, who was elected chairman of the newly formed Ramblers' Association, crippling bureaucracy and evasive answers have so far been the only response from the Lands Department, MEPA and government ministries.

The fact that there is no definitive map giving a clear indication of which land is public and which is private makes the position of the rambler more difficult to defend. The British left behind them meticulous survey maps when they left these islands. A map showing all heritage sites, and pathways accessing them, is a priority goal. A Scout leader told how a favourite hiking route from Birzebbuga to Mellieha was no longer open. "When we try to follow maps the paths are closed," he said.

"The situation has deteriorated, morale is low and people are giving up rambling in the countryside" said Mr Bugeja in his introductory speech at the launch of the Ramblers' Association. He said that statistics showed the Maltese had a high rate of obesity so it was very important for people to be able to take up walking freely as a healthy pastime.

Farmers may be worried about large groups of people straying off designated pathways and damaging crops. Botanists are concerned about possible trampling of rare and endemic species. The impact ramblers had on the environment was also to be taken into account. The association would draw up a code which would be compatible with existing rules for walkers. Careful ramblers should stick to the ethic "Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints".

A representative of the Union of Tourist Guides told how it was becoming difficult to plan walks, never knowing what barriers they might find obstructing free passage from one week to the next. Benghajsa, Delimara and Fomm ir-Rih are some areas of particular concern where encroachment upon the right of public access is becoming a widespread phenomena.

"We are becoming foreigners in our own land" remarked Mr Bugeja as the meeting came to a close. "When we tried to visit the Bronze Age village at Bahrija we were ruthlessly asked to leave." Local councils should ensure that public footpaths are retained but a sign at Bahrija cajoles the public to restrain themselves from experiencing the environment without ever leaving the paved road.

Living close to the limit

At last I feel we have truly entered Europe. From this month on it will not remain possible for anyone to claim commercial sensitivity as an excuse for refusing to disclose information on emissions to anyone who requests it.

Before we joined the EU, the government signed and ratified an international treaty promising to respect the public's right to environmental information but did not live up to its promise. The wording of the law was tampered with to suit an agenda of concealment. No more.

Outwardly, the most alarming thing about Maghtab may be its instability. Workers on the site will feel less happy after they have read the less salubrious details of the Scott Wilson report, a select part of which is now available in summary on the ministry Website.

For the rest of us, concerns about the effect of pollution on our health, and the knowledge that certain information was being hidden from public view, have been our main source of anxiety and anger. A trip by appointment to the offices of WasteServ to look at the full Scott Wilson report now reveals a few more facts about the rubbish dump than have been made immediately available on the MRAE Website.

Maghtab is a dilemma of the highest order. If left to its own devices the soil and groundwater surrounding it will become increasingly contaminated, says the report.

Asbestos was the most frequent contaminant to turn up in soil samples in and around the dump, followed by dioxins. Phenols and naphthalene (the latter recently identified as a carcinogen) were also detected.

"Given the long half-life of dioxins and the elevated concentrations of dioxins in air, the concentrations in soil will increase in time" says the report. Dioxins are being produced by largely uncontrolled, spontaneous burning. The rehabilitation plan aims to buy time by facilitating burning through the installation of gas flares.

When asked whether an environment impact assessment was needed, MEPA replied: "This development does not fall under the scope of the EIA regulations, and no EIA was requested. However, it is likely that the activity would be subject to an environmental (air emission) permit."

On the other hand it is recognised that Maghtab is a hazardous contamination site producing gas made up not only of methane but also benzene and volatile organic compounds, both known to be dangerous to human health. There would certainly be a negative impact from the burning of these toxic substances mixed up with methane in the absence of proper pollution control mechanisms.

At the press conference, held jointly by WasteServ and the Environment Ministry to release the controversial report, the impression was given that the impact of a toxic cocktail known as leachate was not a significant problem. Contrary to this view, the report refers to significant seasonal impacts when it rains. At least one sample of groundwater exceeded the maximum limit for dioxin even in the dry season, when the readings were taken.

The report predicts that emissions of dioxin into drinking water and agricultural soil at Maghtab will continue to increase beyond acceptable levels unless the fires which burn beneath the dump are put out. But as the underground temperature of Maghtab falls, either with time or through intervention, the impact of leachate on soil is expected to increase as the landfill cools down.

Opening up the dump and going in with fire-extinguishing equipment has been ruled out by the consultants since the disturbance would result in even more contaminants being released into the environment. Getting rid of the fuel which feeds these fires by burning the methane gas, produced by decomposing organic matter, is one way of reducing the time it will take for the fires to burn out.

No one is going to drink a glass of leachate direct from Maghtab. But where does it end up - out at sea? The flow of the groundwater running under the dump is assumed to be in this direction according to the report although this is by no means a certainty.

Lead, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic were all identified in concentrations exceeding local background levels in boreholes close to the landfill. A sample from a leachate monitoring site inside the Maghtab dump revealed the presence of arsenic at levels 40 times higher than the maximum allowed in EU drinking water.

The United States environmental protection agency set stricter limits for arsenic after a risk of cancer was detected at levels below the existing safety parameter. Drinking water containing excessive levels of arsenic can also cause skin damage or problems with their circulatory problems.

The report has found that levels of nickel were particularly high, exceeding EU standards for drinking water. The EU lists nickel among 19 other substances that could have an effect on groundwater. Chronic nickel exposure can cause lung, nasal, or larynx cancers and gradual poisoning from low-level exposure.

Some parameters in the EU drinking water directive were not measured, partly because it was said to be difficult to distinguish between the landfill and background levels. The report documents the presence of pesticides dumped or applied at Maghtab but the monitoring team did not test for pesticides in groundwater near the dump.

While the report establishes that there is "considerable uncertainty" about dioxins in and around the three landfills being studied, it does not hold back from saying that estimated rates of emissions of dioxins from the landfills are "considerable". Maghtab, which is ten times bigger than Qortin, has 35 times the dioxin emission rate of the Gozo dump. The report notes that concentrations of dioxins recorded in the air at Maghtab greatly exceed EU levels.

Inhalation is not usually considered to be the main pathway for dioxins to enter the body since the normal route is through food. However the report specifically warns that if dietary intake is already high the ability of the human body to take in dioxins by inhalation or skin contact without exceeding World Health Organisation levels is limited.

On their part the local authorities have tried to reassure the public by pointing to the absence of alarming levels of dioxin in soil. The more likely place to look for dioxins would be in food where it accumulates in fat and is the main pathway of entry into the human body. The report does warn that for individuals working and living near Maghtab, exposure to even low concentrations of dioxin in the air could give rise to an unacceptable intake exceeding the lower limit prescribed by WHO's daily tolerance threshold.

The report holds it is likely that dietary intake in Malta is higher than that of Italy. "It is possible that dioxin in the Maltese diet exceeds the WHO tolerance daily intake," concludes the section on dioxins. No known tests have been run to establish the amount of dioxins in food or human breast milk in the effected area surrounding Maghtab.

The WHO is working with the United Nations Environmental Programme to provide risk assessments of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including dioxins. A number of actions are being considered internationally to reduce the production of dioxins during incineration and manufacturing processes.

The report found that there were no mechanisms in place to limit dust generation caused by vehicle movements at Qortin, Gozo. "Although the majority of dust particles emitted might be expected to be uncontaminated a proportion of the dust emissions may include some contaminants. In particular, heavy metals, asbestos or dioxins may be present."

Earlier plans by government to develop Wied Fulija, dormant since 1996, as a recreational area for off-roaders have been dropped since this would have dispersed more contaminated dust into the air. Types of hazardous waste at the Wied Fulija dumpsite are similar to those found at Maghtab.

Truth to power

Din L-Art Helwa, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, highlights the need for truthfulness and accuracy above the reassurances which intermittently come from government. In a reference to government's failure to bring about sustainability four years after the NCSD Act was passed, president Martin Scicluna remarked at yesterday's annual general meeting, "We are as far away from the creation of a National Plan for Sustainable Development as it is possible to be."

Not for profit

A working group set up by a number of NGOs to gain legal recognition for voluntary non-profit making bodies is organising a seminar sponsored by the US Embassy. ICNL president Douglas Rutzen who will speak on the free participation of civil society in public decisions at St Aloysius College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. For more information contact ngolwg@di-ve.com.