The Nationalist Party criticised the Labour leader yesterday, holding that Dr Alfred Sant did not want the PN government to close down the Maghtab landfill but rather, it wanted to continue using it.

In a statement, the PN said that following a helicopter tour of the landfill on 13 February 1997, Dr Sant had said that the landfill was a priority for his party and promised a solution on the matter. However, the party held, Dr Sant continued to use the landfill while he was in government.

A PN government, however, had closed the landfill and stopped using it completely in April 2004.

The PN held that Dr Sant had opposed its closure and in fact, he had written to the European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom in August 2003 to stop the government from closing it.

The PN, the statement said, had promised and closed the landfill, “and will now keep its promise to rehabilitate Maghtab using European Union funds”.

The dangerous gases will be removed and the area landscaped. The same will also take place at Tal-Qortin in Gozo and Wied Fulija.