An interview with Dr Ing. Christopher Ciantar, Head of Strategy and Development, WasteServ

Is it true that all Malta and Gozo's waste will be processed at Sant'Antnin?

Only 71,000 tons of waste will be treated at the Sant'Antnin waste treatment plant in Marsascala, of which 36,000 tons is made up of dry recyclables and the other 35,000 tons consists of municipal waste.

So what happens to the rest of Malta's waste?

For the short term the rest of the municipal waste will be disposed of at Ta' Zwejra and the proposed landfill at Ghallis when operational.

What do the present operations at Sant'Antnin consist of and why does the plant have to be upgraded?

The main operations at Sant'Antnin currently include the processing of 30,000 tonnes a year of mixed household waste to produce low-grade compost to be used for agricultural purposes or as landfill cover. Some 1,500 tonnes shredding of green waste and wood for compost also takes place.

Another waste management activity performed at this site is the manual sorting of the dry waste fractions (predominantly packaging) recovered for recycling. The weight of these fractions during 2004 was 3,300 tonnes and to date this is performed in the open areas on the limited ground floor space available.

Due to the lack of necessary infrastructure, the dry recyclable waste is hand-sorted on the ground to recover good quality scrap material. These working conditions have rendered this operation inefficient to meet the demand resulting from the ever-increasing number of bring-in sites and other dry waste separation initiatives. The current average monthly throughput at Sant'Antnin is some 3,600 tons, which are equivalent to 43,000 tons per 12 calendar months.

What is the total investment needed to rehabilitate the plant and what does the rehabilitation consist of?

Upgrading this facility would bring about both social benefits that are highly desirable and will help to enhance the level and quality of the operations such that a better product is yielded for recycling.

The overall objective of the proposed upgrading is to enable the Maltese Islands to achieve a more sustainable system for managing waste. The much talked about waste separation may only continue to develop if this facility is fully refurbished and upgraded to provide also sheltered storage for the recovered fractions.

For the modernisation of this plant, an estimated total of €16.7 million is projected, 70 per cent of which will consist of European Union cohesion funds. The reliance on the Cohesion Fund to upgrade this facility is indispensable if the targets outlined in the Solid Waste Management Strategy are to be met to the satisfaction of international and national waste management legislation and standards.

The planned upgrading for the Sant'Antnin facility shall ensure the improvement of the operational and environmental conditions of this site as most of the works will be conducted in a closed environment.

Clean biodegradable waste that is known to be recoverable from households (as well as other entities such as hotels and hospitals) as a result of source segregation and separate collection of municipal waste will be treated on site.

From this waste stream, the new installation will recover energy which will be used to generate electricity for 1,400 households as well as generate good quality compost for local use to produce engineered soil and other agricultural purposes. This is due to the inclusion of a digestion plant which will treat these 35,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste.

The upgrading will include the installation of a materials recycling facility (MRF) able to sort 36,000 tons of recyclable waste (plastic, paper, metals and glass) a year together with adequate store for the recovered products.

Will the amount of Scammels increase dramatically?

No, the increase is minimal, and will consequently be absorbed without added inconvenience. The EIA identifies that traffic will only increase from 0.9% to 3% if the plant operates with 200,000 tonnes. With less material the impact will be drastically reduced.

Is anything being done about the insects, the mice and the possible consequences these may have on the residents' health?

Once the upgrading project involves mainly the process being done within a closed environment, the problems related to insects will be restricted too. This has been thoroughly assessed EIA.

What guarantees are the residents being given regarding controlling the stench?

One of the foremost considerations in the upgrading of Sant'Antnin was the containing of the stench. To date the enclosed environment being proposed means that both the process and the storage will be carried out in a closed environment, thus limiting the emissions of unpleasant smells.

The present systems, based on a semi-open technique, already minimised this inconvenience drastically when introduced in 1998. The upgraded facility will continue to develop on this principle.

What about the restaurants and other establishments in the locality - will their business suffer?

The Environment Impact Assessment on upgrading the Sant'Antnin plant has considered a worst-scenario approach to ensure that the new process will not have any adverse effects on both the surrounding neighbourhood, as well as the environment in general.

The proposed development is expected to lead to an improvement of the environmental, social and economic impacts experienced from the current operations of the plant. The proposal now involves an enclosed structure that limits former inconveniences to the surrounding area.

Any issues of concern that will arise from the consultation process will be included in the detailed design and tendering process for this facility. In this way the technology chosen will be the best suited for this proposed upgrade.

Will the upgrading project have an adverse effect on Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija?

No it will not. The above-mentioned details regarding the measured considerations that have gone into the proposed upgrading project show that there will not be an intensification of inconveniences. Rather, upgrading aims at bettering the current situation.

Will the upgrading project provoke an added danger that may jeopardise the immediate vicinity?

The proposal itself may be said to have a twofold aim: the achievement of a more sustainable system for managing waste in the Maltese Islands and the improvement of the prevailing situation to the benefit of all. As a result, the project as proposed has taken into consideration the prevailing situation and is designed to eliminate all possible risks.

This also includes the provision of improved work conditions for the work force which includes a healthy and safe environment for the Sant'Antnin employees themselves.

Does the Sant'Antnin plant administration intend to commit itself to other projects for the enhancement of the environment as a gesture of goodwill to the local community?

It is seriously believed that this proposed upgrade is carried out in close collaboration with a representative committee of the locality. Merely opposing the project will result in confrontation.

It is hoped that through a closer collaboration and understanding the best possible solution is delivered to the locality. This collaboration should progress beyond the development stage of the facility into its operation. In this way, any proposals to enhance the surrounding environment may easily be acceded to.

What route will the Scammels follow? Will the trips to and from the plant be undisruptive?

The preferred route that the EIA identifies is Route 24, that is, the route leading to the plant from Tal-Barrani Road, past the Bulebel industrial estate area leading to Hompesch Roundabout. From there, vehicles will enter Marsascala bypass leading to the plant. With 200,000 tonnes of waste, the increase in traffic will be 3%, with 71,000 tonnes the increase shall be lower.

Is there a possibility the main roads leading to the plant be resurfaced and improved to enable a better traffic flow?

Any maintenance to the road network must be requested to the competent authorities. As discussed, the EIA does not anticipate severe impact from traffic notwithstanding the worst case scenario assumed.