Environment Minister Jose Herrera is in agreement with the Prime Minister's decision to consider dumping construction waste at sea, but does not actually think the situation will be such that it the practice will become necessary.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Wednesday during a meeting with the Malta Developer's Association that the government is looking at the possibility of dumping construction waste in designated areas at sea, such as Hurd's Bank.

Asked by The Malta Independent about Muscat's remarks, Herrera in fact noted that the dumping of inert construction waste in the sea was always an alternative, adding that the practice was used "without any care" for projects such as Smart City and the expansion of the Mgarr port in Gozo.

He said that the Prime Minister did not say that the government will definitely start throwing construction waste into the sea, but he had said that it is an alternative which, in the hypothetical situation where there is nowhere to dispose of this waste, must be considered.

He noted that he too had considered this and spoken to Muscat about it, and said that they were both on the same wavelength; in that if within the next months there is no available space to dispose of the said construction waste, then one must consider using this procedure.

If this eventuality is reached, he said, it will be done with care and under the watchful eye of the Environment & Resources Authority, and waste will be separated and chosen to be placed in areas which are indicated only by them.

However, the Environment Minister has faith that the situation will not reach this point.

He said that the government is going to be taking drastic measures to make sure that there are enough places to dispose of construction waste, and noted that a survey is taking place across Malta and Gozo to take stock of all the quarries that there are, especially those which are the government's which are leased out and which are not being used. 

"I am not confiscating quarries; I am taking volumes, working them, and giving compensation to the person with the title.  Those who do not agree with that can go to a magistrate and fix a price there", he said.

He also cited land reclamation as another potential solution for construction waste, noting that the Prime Minister had "hit the nail on the head" with his vision for what land reclamation should be.

He said that the absolute priority for land reclamation should be the environment, even though it may still include certain minor economic aspects.