Anne Fenech, president of the PN executive committee, said today that the preliminary report of the OHSA, prepared by Greek expert George Papadakis, is being considered by the government as a green light to proceed with its floating storage unit plans - when it should not be the case.

Addressing a news conference at the PN headquarters in Pieta together with MEP candidate Therese Comodini Cachia, Dr Fenech said that the Greek expert’s report assumes that the areas of the FSU location are ignition-free so it is improbable that an explosion occurs. She questioned what would happen in the event a collision occurs between two vessels close to the LNG storage vessel, whether this would spark a fire leading to an explosion due to the friction that would ensue the minute the vessels collide.

Dr Fenech also said that in the event the government decides to place the storage facility on land, the navigational waterway, where vessels feeding the gas storage would anchor by the mall, would be narrowed more than ever if two vessels are in the same area.

Another point raised by Dr Fenech is the government’s reference to her comments prior to the general election where “the government claimed I said that no vessels carrying LNG exist”.

“I never said these words; my argument was the size of the vessel which would be used, that of between 40,000 and 60,000 cubic metres capacity, since at the time the Labour Party was stating that they would use vessels whose capacity is between 40,000 and 60,000 cubic metres.

“I can reconfirm that only four vessels with that capacity exist,” she said.

She said that Marsaxlokk Bay witnesses around 9,000 shipping movements a year and the government is wrong when it says that it is remote that vessels can collide in the area. She said that plans to place special marker buoys to prevent boats from entering the area is not a solution.

Asked for her advice on what she thinks is the ideal solution to replace the government’s current plans, Dr Fenech said that the floating storage unit, referred to as an Floating Unit Regassification Unit (FSRU), should be placed outside the bay, and the liquefied natural gas passed through a gas pipeline which would be connected to land and the vessel.

She did no doubt that this may be more expensive to do but she asked why the government did not ask the consortium what the safer option is related to its plans and if it would mean any additional costs.

On the public consultation process under way, Dr Comodini Cachia said that an urgent Mepa meeting has been called for Birzebbuga and Marsaxlokk local council members only. She questioned why the meeting was being held behind closed doors without the press and other members of the public being present.

The Greek expert, assigned by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority Goerge Papadakis to draw up a preliminary report on the LNG floating storage plans, is expected to be present.

She referred to a Malta Independent on Sunday story published last Sunday which spoke of another report which is being kept under the carpet.

Dr Comodini Cachia said that while the journalist was given exclusivity to view the report which meant that the government was barring the public from the right to reviewing the whole report, since she claimed that the journalist was only given excerpts of it.

Quoting other experts, including a Dutch expert, she said that if a cloud of gas emanated from the storage unit, it would bring about a massive catastrophe, as said would happen by a number of experts.

The Dutch expert had said that a result of such an incident, those in the vicinity would die from the explosion while those standing hundreds of metres away will also be killed, shattering windows of buildings in the process.

She said that the public was being given piecemeal information related to the LNG project.

She asked if the dolphin platform would be moved and what effects it would have as a result.

Asked why the shadow minister for energy, George Pullicino, was not present for the news conference, Dr Fenech replied: “Today’s news conference involves maritime matters and this is why I am addressing the conference myself”. Dr Fenech is a maritime law expert.

Dr Commodini Cachia said that she was present since she was representing the interests of the public and voicing their concerns.

Asked for a reaction to the Malta Independent's iSurvey where only three per cent of respondents cited the government’s floating LNG storage unit plans as a major concern, meaning that it is not a major concern for the majority of respondents, Dr Comodini Cachia referred this portal to Environment Impact Assessment report, presented to Mepa by Enemalta, where a social impact assessment, conducted by Marvin Formosa, which was done before the public consultation process started, and prior to the opinions of the media published on the matter, she said that a graph which forms part of the assessment shows that Birzebbuga andMarsaxlokk M’xlokk residents did not want the storage facility to be placed in the bay.

“The expert had spoken with residents on the issue so one got an idea of what residents felt at the time,” she said.

She said that residents cited three reasons: Security fears, concerns of fishermen, and the visual impact as a result of the unit.