Sant' Antnin... what a waste

History repeats itself. Exactly two years have elapsed since the 2006 local council elections. WasteServ, a government agency, came out with yet another impressive centre page giving the present caretaker government a helping hand for the forthcoming general election. One recalls the colourful illustrations of the famous family park portrayed by gimmicky projections orchestrated by the Prime Minister together with Environment Minister George Pullicino, presented with so much ado and hullabaloo and which in the end all vanished into thin air. The before and after photographs of the proposed "Jurassic park" remained unchanged, a mini Magħtab. It seems that WasteServ has a lot of public funds to waste on phantom projects that are never destined to hit the ground.

According to the centre spread article Waste Not At Sant'Antnin (February 11), WasteServ forgot to remind those few present - mostly innocent children - at the well publicised open day which later turned out to be a fiasco, that the recycling plant that covers an area of 47,500 square metres is being built on a unique natural valley with precious spring waterways running underneath the plant feeding the tal-Magħluq site. This is a natural reserve protected by Natura 2000, which has been left abandoned in the most shameful, appalling state by the Environment Ministry since 1998. WasteServ is doing its utmost to camouflage the rigged process that led Mepa to give the green light, knowing full well that the decision on the Sant'Antnin site was based on an "incorrect footprint". WasteServ's officials should have had the courage and honesty to explain to the public that no health environmental studies were carried out as part of the EIA report as stipulated in the terms of reference and listed as an "important requirement". Unfortunately, these are just the tip of the iceberg of Mepa's shortcomings - more mortal sins are hidden in the blocked investigation report commissioned by the Mepa auditor requested by the Committee Against The Sant' Antnin recycling plant since December 2006.

The EU does not interfere on where the plant should be sited. This is strictly an issue under the exclusive competence of the national authorities. In this case the Maltese authorities were far from being competent. It is misleading to remark that the lobby group in Marsascala had the appeal turned down by the EU Commission. The committee is still patiently waiting for replies to the various documents and reports submitted to EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

The committee recently put the cards on the table and appealed to the four political parties to give their support, especially once in office, to make public the auditor's blocked report and hence insist on a public inquiry into the whole process regarding the Sant' Antnin recycling plant. For, without any doubt, apart from being one of the most controversial issues, it is by far the most vitiated and manipulated process in Mepa's history.