Until the permanent waste transfer station for Gozo comes into operation, WasteServ Malta Ltd will be developing a temporary waste transfer facility at the Qortin dump. This project will include sorting and storage bays for the different waste streams as well as a loading bay for the waste to be loaded on to trailers and transported to Malta.
WasteServ’s head of strategy and development Chris Ciantar explained that the waste will be transported to Malta for treatment and disposal via Gozo Channel vessels in the evenings using large vehicles. He said the temporary transfer stations will be situated within the original footprint of the Qortin dump, with around 2,000 square metres being used for this facility.
Meanwhile, WasteServ will embark on the rehabilitation of the dump site which, according to the legal notice already adopted by Malta, has to be completed by 15 July 2009. He said this project is expected to be funded by the EU, but a formal application still has to be submitted.
On the development and operation of a solid waste transfer facility for Gozo, Dr Ciantar said this is expected to receive between 25,000 and 35,000 tonnes of waste per year. He said waste separation was already in full swing in Gozo, with nine localities already having the “bring-in” site and another nine awaiting the necessary permits.
The Environment Minister said that simultaneously with the closure of the Maghtab dumpsite, the closure of the Qortin dumpsite will avoid it being subjected to the stringent conditions of the European Union’s landfill directive.
He said that the fact that the waste will be transferred to the site in Malta did not mean that Gozo residents were no longer responsible for the amount of waste they produce.
Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said the closure of the Qortin dump site proved the government’s commitment towards the improvement of Gozo’s environment.
She said that over the years, Qortin had become an eyesore and its rehabilitation will show the importance the government was giving to waste management in Malta and Gozo.