A quarry that had stopped receiving construction waste has started operating again but the possibility that the government requisitions other quarries to create more space for the dumping of construction waste is still “on the cards,” a spokesperson for the environment ministry said yesterday.

Earlier this week, a quarry located close to Ghar Lapsi and the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples stopped receiving construction waste, plunging the industry into a new crisis.

The quarry has since resumed operations but dumping fees remain high, a ministry spokesperson said.

Environment Minister Jose Herrera is in talks with the quarry owners to see if the prices can be reduced. On Wednesday, the ministry warned that it could resorts to the powers it has at law and take matters into its own hands. The government, however, believes that the industry is responsible for the waste it generates and that it has to find its own solutions.

While a total of 29 quarries have an active permit to receive construction waste, which includes excavation material, bricks, glass and tiles, only one is open to the general market.

A number of quarries are owned by the big construction companies, and only receive waste generated by their own projects. Some quarries can only operate on a limited basis for a number of reasons, including that they are still producing material, while others have permit issues.

Earlier this week, the president of the Malta Developers Association, Sandro Chectuti, said the situation is “alarming”, warning that space was running out at the few quarries that are in operation.

He urged the government to find a solution, adding that more material needs to be recycled and that a decision has to be taken on land reclamation.

But the ministry is arguing that, while it would be willing to help find a solution and to draw up regulations, the industry has to be responsible for the waste it generates.

Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Marc Muscat, the CEO of the Resource, Recovery and Recycling Agency (RRRA), said that it was rich for the industry to expect the government to solve its problems.

“Part of the industry’s profits should go into minimising the environmental impact that the same industry causes,” he told The Malta Independent.

Muscat said this was a concept that should apply to all economic sectors, not just construction.

“Waste can be turned into a resource. And in the case of the construction industry, much of the waste generated can be recycled.”

Construction waste, he said, could be used in road construction projects. The government is already pushing the concept of green procurement, which means that a certain amount of recycled material has to be used in public contracts.

“The moment that the industry acknowledges that it is responsible for managing the waste it produces we can help draw up regulations and help through other ways. Take the example of the plastic bottle recycling scheme – once the industry acknowledged its responsibilities, we sat down with them and found solutions together.”