The Environment and Resources Authority board on Friday granted 10 environmental permits, seven of which were renewals.
New permits were granted to a site in Ibraġ to be converted into a batching plant, to two sites at the Kordin and Bulebel industrial estates for the manufacturing of plastics and the final one for a ship repair yard in Senglea.
ERA said the permit granted to the Ibraġ site was to operate a batching plant. The main operations include the manufacturing of concrete products and cold-asphalt, the recycling of inert waste, vehicle maintenance and repair.
It said the permit included obligations related to emissions, maintenance areas, fuel and chemical storage, process effluent management and waste acceptance and control.
At the ship repair yard in Senglea, works will include steelworks, surface treatment, welding and engineering works as well as blasting and painting which are carried out on the two dry docks, floating docks or in designated workshops on the quay.
ERA said the permit included obligations for monitoring of discharges from the docks and specific operational conditions, which the operator has to implement during blasting operations.
During Friday’s board meeting, ERA also renewed permits to operate a boatyard and a berthing facility at Kalkara. The permit includes obligations related to boat maintenance and repair, refuelling, contingency against spillage and accident prevention and regulation of waste management on site.
ERA also renewed the environmental permit to operate a waste management facility at Tal-Barrani Industrial Park, which includes the storage and decanting of waste of edible oil and the processing of fish oil waste.
The permit includes conditions related to site management and control, waste storage and processing, and site containment, among others, ERA said.
The Attrans Depot in Zebbuġ also had its environmental permit renewed. The waste management activity relates to the storage and processing of waste clothes and associated end-of-waste procedures.
ERA renewed the environmental permit for the production of electronic and mechanical parts for various uses in appliances and cars, located within the Mriehel Industrial Estate.
Two renewal applications were also granted in relation to interventions within a Natura 2000 site and on protected species.
One relates to the breeding and rearing of Barn Owls at Buskett for release into the wild, as part of a reintroduction programme. The permit granted the renewed approval of the structures for the parent stock, hacking boxes and the procedure for release.
Another was the renewal of the permit for restoration works at Chadwick Lakes currently being carried out by the Energy and Water Agency (EWA). This permit includes the removal of accumulated silt, the formation of water retention basins, removal of invasive alien species of plants and planting of over 500 indigenous trees and shrubs.
The permit includes various conditions aimed at mitigating the effects of the removal of alien species on the surrounding environment including ones related to control of re-sprouting.
ERA said these interventions are aimed at restoring the ecology of the site to that of a typical Mediterranean valley system and making the site a more enjoyable and informative experience for visitors.