Recycling plant's upgrade'being undermined'

Rural Affairs Environment Minister George Pullicino has condemned what he termed as another attempt by the Labour Party to strip Malta of €16.4 million under the EU Cohesion Fund committed for the proposed upgrading of the Sant'Antnin facility.

Reacting to a petition by the local councils of Marsascala, Zejtun and Zabbar and tabled in Parliament by Labour MP George Vella MP, Mr Pullicino said that instead of supporting the commitment made by the government and the EU to alleviate the difficulties experienced by the people living in the localities in question, the representatives of the party in opposition were undermining the progress of the plant's upgrading by instilling fear in the public that the facility will be enlarged to treat more waste than it is currently licensed to do.

The minister said the proposed development would mean that in comparison with the 83,000 tonnes of waste it is licensed to treat at present, the plant will in future be treating 71,000 tonnes, of which 36,000 tonnes are dry recyclables. Essentially, the remaining 35,000 tonnes of organic waste is what is already being received at the plant today.

The opposition representative continues to stress that the proposed facility is a detriment to people's health, the environment and the value of property in the area. These issues were studies as part of the environmental impact assessment and the impact is found to be minimal, the minister said. In fact, the value of the property in the area increased drastically despite the plant being what it is today.

Mr Pullicino said the opposition representative and the local councils presenting the petition emphasised that the plant should be moved away from Marsascala and its vicinities. This was contradictory to what the Opposition Leader said when he argued that waste facilities should be developed on a regional basis.

The Labour Party should declare where the facility for the southern region will be sited.

The minister re-affirmed that the €16.4 million investment is aimed at improving the quality of life of the residents. It aims to treat the reduced throughput within an enclosed environment, to produce good quality compost and to recover energy in order to supply 1,400 homes with electricity all the year round.

As the second draft of the EIA will highlight, the impact of this upgrading will improve the quality of life of the residents and the environment, Mr Pullicino said.