Groups of residents and NGOs gathered in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq on Thursday to oppose plans to build a waste to energy facility in Magħtab.

Members of Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar were joined by area residents in voicing their opposition to the planned incinerator at the site at Qalet Marku on Thursday afternoon.

FAA coordinator Astrid Vella said that building an incinerator was an “admission of guilt” that efforts to promote recycling had been sub-par and undermined efforts to reach EU targets for recycling waste.

“The latest political buzzword is circular economy. How can we have a circular economy if we insist on burning up our waste,” Vella said.

Malta was committed to recycling 50% of its solid waste by this year but it only recycled 12%. This project will weaken initiatives to reach recycling goals, she said.

“The incinerator is a monster that needs to be fed continuously, so there is less incentive to recycle,” she said.

Architect and ADPD chair Carmel Cacopardo presented submissions that had been sent to the project’s public consultation, which demands that the EIA be declared null due to conflicts of interest in its preparation.

Cacopardo explained that Mario Schembri, who coordinated the EIA, is also the long-serving CEO of waste management company GreenPak.

“The proposal to set up an incineration service will undoubtedly have an impact on the services run by GreenPak and it is submitted that the CEO of GreenPak has an interest which flows directly from a decision concerning the incinerator,” Cacopardo said.

He also said that the consultation of Alan Deidun in the EIA presents a conflict due to his tenure as a member of the ERA board, which will be eventually required to discuss and decide on the project’s permits.

“It is respectfully submitted that the EIA is not and cannot be credible when it does not follow the basic rules specifically intended to ensure credibility.” 

Cacopardo also said that the EIA does not make an effort to analyse why recycling targets have failed and is not a factor examined in the justification for the project.

Alternative site reports have also been kept hidden from public scrutiny, he said.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Residents who shared their concerns said that the incinerator could have negative consequences on the health of people residing in neighbouring areas, as well as a negative impact on touristic activities. 

In 2012, the Nationalist Party government announced plans to turn Magħtab into a family park. However, these faltered and were never followed up.

In 2017, plans were confirmed to have been scrapped, with the Environment Ministry saying that replacing the landfill with a park could jeopardise people’s health.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli