The revised Environment Impact Assessment for the redevelopment of the Sant’ Antnin waste recycling plant fails the expectations of Marsascala local council, one of the protagonists in the camp opposing the project.

The redrafting of the EIA, which was commissioned at considerable cost by Wasteserv, leaves Marsascala local council objecting to the redevelopment on much the same grounds as those with respect to the previous impact assessment.

The EIA was redrafted in order to mitigate the issues raised by those opposing the project as proposed.

The local council has issued a statement complaining about the way the whole matter has been handled. “The council believes that there has been no proper consultation to explain exactly what the government intended to do at the site.” The local council, based on expert advice it was given, felt that it should strongly object to the project as proposed in the first EIA draft.

With regard to the second draft of the EIA, the council complained that the document does not deal with the problems that concern the council in an independent and objective manner. The EIA does not deal properly with the question of health risks posed by the plant nor with the effect that the new plant will have on the price of property in the area.

Furthermore, the local council claims, the document runs against a number of national policies in the fields of tourism, traffic and industry.

The major bone of contention, however, remains the fact that the site selection process which confirmed Sant’ Antnin – the current site of the recycling plant – as the best location for the “new plant” was flawed by the fact that the alternative sites identified were smaller than required. Only the Marsascala site was large enough to accommodate the plant.

The new draft EIA does not look into this issue, despite what the local council is describing as the incorrect and unfair way in which Sant’ Antnin was confirmed as the best site at which to redevelop the plant.

The council concluded its statement by saying that it hopes its objections will be noted and that it will be informed when a public consultation meeting on the matter is to be held.