From Mr M. Zammit

I refer to the article “Oil pollution at Ghadira worse than initial estimation” (TMIS, 25 March). I was rather unsettled by two sentences, viz. “BirdLife contacted the Ministry of Environment and the rapid response team that operates under the Ministry of Tourism requesting manpower and technical assistance to clean up the reserve before toxic chemicals spread and accumulate in the sediment. Due to lack of human resources, the rapid response team could only provide ‘oil towels’ to ‘mop up the spill’ and no man power.”

One would be justified in asking some pertinent questions in these circumstances. Is there a rapid response team in the Ministry of Tourism or any other Ministry? How many people operate in this rapid response team? What were they so busy doing that they could not be released to tackle a real emergency? What would happen if a tanker ran aground and an oil spill of vast proportions hit the Maltese seas and coasts? Would we also tackle it with “oil towels”?

Please put our minds at rest and give real answers to the above questions. No spin or propaganda, please. Just the bare facts are required.

Manuel Zammit

SAN GWANN