The recent publication of National Environment Policy Guidelines is a step in the right direction in what purports to be the European method of dealing with national environmental problems. Why such guidelines had to be formulated now after certain problems and logical solutions were known to the government for years, even more so when these inconveniences had been brought to the government’s attention on countless occasions, is what, I for one, fail to comprehend.
European standards that determine certain limits already exist and are enforced by the European Commission when a breach of such norms is noted. One such instance is the quality of the air we breathe. Living in a large community affected daily by dust emitted from a quarry and its activities that is considered, according to the policy guidelines, as a “large-scale polluter”, the government now contemplates the following options as a solution according to measures of the said guidelines: (3.5.2) Step up the process environmental permitting to ensure that all operations requiring permits are permitted by 2016 (OPM/MEPA, MRRA/MRA, MCCAA) and (2.2.19) Control construction dust through education and enforcement of the Environmental Management Construction Site Regulations (ongoing) (MRRA, local councils, DLG).
In short, the government is allowing another five years during which a quarry operator can still operate, by which time it will hopefully have contemplated whether “operations requiring permits are permitted” and also to “educate” those who for years has seen no reason to be educated. In the meantime, the list of enforcement notices on Mepa’s website, including those of quarrying without a permit, just keeps on increasing as does the irreparable damage to our health due to inhalation of fine dust as well as properties.
Infringement procedures on fine dust initiated by the European Commission were dropped in favour of believing dust was a natural phenomenon due to Malta’s proximity to the African deserts. Indeed, this phenomenon might occur on a few days annually with southerly winds blowing fine red dust onto our islands; however the daily problem of locally generated white dust inhaled by many Maltese citizens seems insignificant to the Commission to the extent that infringement procedures were dropped.
The residents of San Pawl tat-Targa, like other residents living in proximity to other quarries around Malta, endure a daily flow of dust emanating from mountains of uncovered materials that puff dust with every breeze and a constant convoy of trucks, covered with handkerchief sized tarpaulins, spewing dust onto public roads from their load of construction materials originating from quarries. To add to these inconveniences, the crushing of rocks is regularly carried out in quarries in a totally uncovered contraption that competes with deserts when producing dust. I am attaching photographs of this on-going practice, which, according to the Commission, together with other known sources, I am to believe is the daily influx of fine desert dust in my area.
The government proposing these Environmental Policy Guidelines had been governing well before it was obliged to address these national problems in order to meet European standards and yet never bothered to regulate appropriately. Residents have consulted it about such inconveniences, as have its representatives in the European Parliament but to no avail. Why it expects anyone to believe its passiveness over several years will change following guidelines published on paper is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately, actions speak louder than words and certainly years of total inaction are a better indicator of what one is to expect no matter how grandiose the proposals presented are.
Mark Mifsud Bonnici
SAN PAWL TAT-TARGA