Waste oils firm blamed for noxious smells in Marsa

The Labour Party yesterday accused Waste Oils Company Ltd of illegally discharging material through sewers and culverts, causing noxious smells around Hexagon House in Marsa.

The party's environment spokesman Leo Brincat gave a press conference on site where he also claimed tha,t although the authorities had contemplated action against the company, none had been taken.

Besides its tank-cleaning services, the company offers a collection service for waste oils, bilge water and ballast from all sectors of the marine industry for recycling.

Mr Brincat, who was accompanied by Marsa mayor Frans Debono, said the employees who worked at Hexagon House, as well as residents, had been complaining about the stench for years but no action was taken, except for the commissioning of several reports, all by the same author.

Last May, Mr Debono had filed a judicial protest on behalf of residents against the planning authority and the government, claiming they failed to seriously consider the complaints about the inconvenience and health risks residents and employees were exposed to.

He had said residents and employees were suffering from asthma and respiratory problems because of the unbearable odour around Spencer Hill.

Mr Brincat said he had submitted eight parliamentary questions but none of the replies had been satisfactory.

He questioned why chemist Alfred Vella was the only author of the several reports commissioned by the government and the Malta Envrionment and Planning Authority on the issue and asked whether Prof. Vella had ever conducted any private consultancy work for this firm or any other company in the area.

Mr Brincat questioned what was holding the government back from putting its finger on the cause of the smells around Hexagon House.

Questions sent to Waste Oils Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Falzon Group, for its reaction remained unanswered.