The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa)’s commission for development control has dismissed an application for the renewal of a permit for a lower coralline limestone quarry in Ghar id-Dar in Qala.

The dismissal of the application came about after an enforcement notice and an implementation notice were issued against the quarry owners, who may face criminal proceedings, Mepa said in a statement.

Raymond Gatt on behalf of Salvu Mintoff and Sons Limited, as well as the owner of Abbazija San Antonio degli Navarra were notified on 1 December last year, after the enforcement notice was issued two days before.

The implementation notice concerns aspects of development, including the quarry boundaries that are not in line with the permit issued by Mepa

Furthermore a number of conditions were breached and the land surrounding the quarry was used for different reasons to those established by the permit, Mepa said. The developers dumped and stored rubble and other material in areas outside the quarry boundaries that had been established by means of the permit issued by Mepa.

The authority’s commission for development control has been following the precarious situation along the Ghar id-Dar coast in Qala. Criminal proceedings against the owners of the quarry are also expected to start in the coming days, the authority said.

Mepa officials are also taking necessary measures for the removal of any rubble and material dumped in the area without necessary permits.