An inquiry into the burning of animal carcasses, brought to Malta from North Africa, was only ordered after the Labour Party called for it, said its environment spokesman, Leo Brincat, in parliament on Monday.
He was referring to the burning of carcasses at the Marsa incinerator, and said that it took Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino six hours to declare that he had no objection for an inquiry to be held. Mr Brincat said Environment Minister Mario de Marco took days to reply, with him saying that an inquiry should be ordered after the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) concludes its investigation. He had noted this was nearing conclusion.
Mr Brincat said he believed the Environment Minister should have replied before Mr Pullicino, because the subject concerned the environment.
He was speaking in Parliament during the debate on Crimes against the Environment. He expressed his belief that authorities like Mepa should carry out investigations independently and the government should not have anything to do with them.
Mepa had said it was investigating but it did not give details of the reports it received, when they had come in, who was carrying out investigations and what came out of them, among others things, said Mr Brincat.
The allegation was that the animals could have had the foot and mouth disease.
The inquiry was requested to prevent a cover-up as in the case of the Mercaptan – the chemical burnt illegally in the vicinity of Mġarr and Baħrija and which case has become time-barred, so no criminal action can be taken. The PL wanted to know all the facts so that it would be informed as to when the case started and when government officials were informed about it.
Moreover, he requested the inquiry to be held immediately in order to curb speculation. Yet much is still unclear.
He asked whether it transpired from Mepa’s investigation that WasteServ had breached the law in burning such carcasses and whether Mepa considered taking any action.
“I hope no inspection reports vanish and that all the waste consignment reports are found, so that it can be ascertained that environmental regulations were not breached,” he said. “Otherwise, it will be difficult for Mepa to carry out its duty.”
In the case of Mercaptan, Mepa was to blame as much as Enemalta because it knew what had been going on and even considered taking legal action against Enemalta.
So if action is not taken in the case of animal carcasses, the people would need to know why.
Opening the subject for discussion, he further pointed out Mepa no longer has after business opening hours and it is unclear what happens in cases when something needs immediate attention. Before the Mepa reform, there were three emergency numbers for specific matters and people used to be on call. The system now in place seems more complicated although it is not clear to Mr Brincat.
He continued that waste management regulations are clear so the Mercaptan case shows how grievous this was and the government’s shortcomings in failing to take action.
Meanwhile, he felt the Bill in discussion was drafted in an amateur way because some things it mentions are covered by other laws. It leaves out the definition of a legal person. It is therefore not at all clear who will be enforcing the law and which court will decide cases.
There is also no difference between cases carried out by scope and others that may seem a result of negligence, he explained.
The Bill as it stands will create more problems, he believes, and care must be taken so as not to create complications in the future.
He commented on a newspaper article saying some filter bags which were to last two years, at the power station extension, were damaged after a few months. These bags are to capture hazardous emissions that result from the use of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and the filter bags are very important for us to be in line with EU targets.
He believes even on this case, Enemalta should issue a statement on what happened and declare what its target figures for particulate matter are, so that we will be able to compare them with projected EU targets, for peace of mind.
As a result of the Bill in discussion he is certain the EU will be asking for reports regarding infringements and court decisions, so all authorities must be in line with regulations.
National monitoring should be carried out properly and since the available resources are limited, he believes it will be difficult for Mepa to follow environmental claims properly and to protect biodiversity.
Dynamic, effective and continuous synergy between the different government departments and authorities is necessary and the fact we needed to get a warning before moving on this Bill is significant in itself, Mr Brincat continued. The Bill should have been discussed by December 2010.
The public should also have full information of how things will be implemented because the Trafigura case – regarding toxic waste produced offshore Malta and dumped in the Ivory Coast killing over a dozen people – left a very negative mark on our country.
He appealed to the government to treat environmental crime in the same way it treats other types of crime and to invest in this sector. Moreover, he hopes national conscience grows.
Karl Gouder (PN) said education is the key when it comes to such a law. Slowly our island is making the shift to using renewable resources resulting in a better environment.
Mentalities need to continue changing for the shift to occur. Our new challenge is to protect and conserve our resources, address climate change and focus on the use of energy and limiting emissions.
Every Maltese and Gozitan should understand it is everyone’s challenge to have a better environment and so it is our duty to be careful and take care of the environment, he concluded.
MP Joseph Falzon said for things to improve, a strong sense of enforcement has been introduced and deterrents are being applied. This was the case when it came to Outside Development Zone buildings and will continue to be extended to other matters relating to the environment.