Pietà Nationalist councillors Malcolm Mifsud and Annhelica Scerri said they were extremely satisfied that WasteServ will apply with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) for the construction of a new incinerator.

In a statement issued yesterday, the PN councillors said that closing down the old incinerator at St Luke’s Hospital is extremely positive and will help solve the problem of pollution in the area.

They pointed out that it was the Nationalist local council that put pressure on the government to prioritise the problem of the incinerator at St Luke’s and to open a new one elsewhere.

The statement added that the mayor and Labour councillors were not keeping their promise to work towards removing the incinerator.

The only action taken by the Labour councillors was to send a copy of a parliamentary question made by a Labour MP to the residents, it said.

The PN councillors appealed to the authorities to conclude the procedures as quickly as possible so that this inconvenience will be removed from Pietà once and for all.

In a separate statement, the Marsa local council condemned the government’s decision to shift the waste destroyed at the St Luke’s incinerator to the Marsa incinerator in Albertown.

It pointed out that it was not informed or consulted by the government or any other entity and only found out about its decision through the media.

The council queried how industrial waste and hazardous waste from St Luke’s and the abattoir will be destroyed in the Marsa incinerator and if any environment impact reports were carried out, especially since Albertown is already polluted by the abattoir and the industrial area.

Furthermore, the council gave its full support to the Paola local council which is protesting against the fuel storage area in Ras il-Hanzir.