Complaints by Birżebbuġa residents about foul smells and sewage leaks caused by a tuna recycling plant are falling on deaf ears, ADPD said on Saturday, questioning if the government is actually able to keep operators in check.
Joining the call of other activist groups, including Moviment Graffitti and Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa which called for the suspension of Birżebbuġa tuna plant, the Green Party demanded that operations be brought in line with health and safety measures at once.
Quality of life for residents of Birzebbugia has been negatively impacted over the years with projects like the Freeport, the airport, the Ħal Far industrial estate, and the Ħal Far racetrack, ADPD deputy general secretary Melissa Bagley said.
“The physical and mental well-being of people in the area is once again being compromised in the name of economic gain,” she added.
The tuna recycling plant operated by Aquaculture Resources Ltd plant started operating earlier this year, with effluent reaching residential areas in Birżebbuġa.
The operators have not accepted responsibility for the stench and sewage leaks affecting the area, saying steps have been taken to contain smells within the plant.
It has become common practice for the government not to consult with stakeholders, with direct orders, legal notices and DNOs being used to shortcut consultation, ADPD deputy chairperson Sandra Gauci said.
Lack of consultation is resulting in residents and people resorting to petitions and protests in order to be heard.
People are being made to “sacrifice their health and wellbeing on the altar of growth economy and GDP”, Gauci added.
A growing economy does not make good for the ever-growing respiratory problems and mental health problems with research showing we are becoming an angry nation.
People are being treated like a nuisance to be ignored, she added, reminding the public of the plight of Valletta residents, complaining about the unacceptably high volume of music and the people of Msida petitioning against another fuel station, among others.
The country is being run by a few elite, with people becoming voiceless, local councils becoming powerless, and “overlooked by the government to ease whatever project the friends of friends have planned”.
“For how long will the population bow down to impositions from above? How much is it able to take before this patience or passiveness turns into rage and anger directed towards those who have ignored them and have laughed at their pain?” Gauci said.