A cliff-edge quarry at Għar Lapsi which has been described by ramblers as a huge eyesore is in line with its environmental permit conditions, according to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA).

The Malta Independent on Sunday visited the site earlier this week after it was told that dumping of construction waste at the site had spilled over the edge the quarry.

The quarry, one of the largest in Malta, is operated by the Tumas Group. It was in the news this week after it stopped receiving construction waste from third-party contractors, almost plunging the sector into a crisis.

The quarry is the only one currently receiving construction waste, even though there are a total of 29 quarries permitted to do so. Government sources explained this week that some of these quarries are owned by large construction companies and only receive waste generated by their own projects. A number of others are still quarrying stone while some have permit issues.

The Lapsi quarry is flanked by the Haġar Qim and Mnajdra temples on one side and the picturesque Għar Lapsi on the other.

The inert waste is not visible from the temples, but it is to ramblers walking along the nature trails found in the area.

Photos taken by this newsroom from that angle show that construction material has risen above the rim of the quarry, with the outer edge of the recently deposited material sitting close to the cliff’s edge.

It is pertinent to point out that construction waste has not yet reached the top of the quarry on its inland side.

The material is also visible from Għar Lapsi, this newsroom confirmed yesterday, with mounds of earth and stone ­– as well as a mechanical digger – silhouetted against the sky.

But when asked about the matter, the ERA said it had recently carried out an inspection at the site and found everything to be in order.

“As part of its continuous monitoring, the ERA has carried out an inspection at the referred quarry and can confirm that the inert material shown in pictures is within the boundaries of the permitted site.”

Sources explained that the quarry will be restored to its ‘original’ pre-digging form and that, at the end of the process, inert material will be covered beneath a layer of soil and trees and shrubs will be planted over it.