The decision by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to give an outline development permit for the Delimara power station extension was described yesterday by Alternattiva Demokratika as a parody of the Mepa reform - a bill is due to be discussed in parliament aiming to overhaul the Mepa set up.

The extension, AD pointed out, will be powered by heavy fuel oil, in defiance of Malta's climate change targets.

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio said planning and environmental decisions taken after the awarding of public tenders costing millions of euros defy good governance and transparency. "Once again, Mepa is simply acting as a rubber stamp for the government. Such decisions have a negative effect on public trust of Mepa, and make a parody of the so-called MEPA reform."

He charged that the decision does not even address the major impact identified in the Environment Impact Statement (EIS), which shows that the use of heavy fuel oil would generate 30 tonnes of toxic waste a day which will have to be exported at the cost of the power corporation, Enemalta.

Ralph Cassar, AD spokesperson for energy, industry and transport, added that Enemalta's negative track record has been further undermined by the lack of transperancy in the process which led to the issue of an outline permit which was clearly vitiated by the fact that the government had already chosen the technology to be used in the power station.

"Effectively a rejection by Mepa would have had devastating political consequences for the same Prime Minister under whose responsibility Mepa falls. The conclusions one can make are obvious. Mepa had no choice in the matter."

He argued that in such cases Mepa should have first conducted studies on the choice of technology and the expected impact of the different options and then held public consultations leading to a decision on which kind of fuel should have been chosen. It was only at that stage that the government should have issued a call for tenders.

The Mepa decision was also in the line of fire of Zminijietna - Lehen ix-Xellug, which considered the extension permit as a dangerous decision serving only to lessen the responsibility of the government which can now ignore all environmental considerations.

It said the 10,000 tonnes of toxic waste to be created each year would affect not only Malta but also the countries to which the waste will be taken. It was all contrary to investment in clean sources of energy, Zminijietna said.

It added the government had ignored and humiliated the climate change committee it had appointed to research and find solutions for investment in clean energy. Government policy classifies the environment and people's health in the second class - a change in policy and mentality is needed, it added.