During the board sitting of 3 April 2020 the ERA Board considered 6 applications for environmental permits, which were all granted.
One application (NP0029/20) requested the renewal of a permit for interventions on trees related to the works in the main parking area of Xlendi. These works, which shall be covered by a bank guarantee, shall affect a total of 65 trees, 40 of which shall be transplanted. A further 48 trees will be planted as compensation for the 25 trees that cannot be transplanted.
This particular project had caused some public outcry last September, when trees were filmed being uprooted.
Another application was for the renewal of the permits for the uprooting and transplanting of trees at Manoel Island (NP0125/20 and NP0126/20) which were approved together with conditions for transplanting, compensatory planting of 150 indigenous trees on site and imposition of related bank guarantees.
The other applications included a request to vary an existing environmental permit (EP0031/15) covering the operations of a petrol service station in Victoria, Gozo. The changes in the existing environmental permit relate to changes in the configuration of the fuel tanks and the respective air abatement infrastructure.
Another application is related to the renewal of a permit to operate a laundry and dry cleaning in Gozo (EP0015/14). Through the renewed permit the operator shall continue the monitoring of emissions from these activities, in line with applicable legislation. The third application related to the variation of an existing environment permit (EP0079/19) which had been issued on 6th November 2019 to allow waste management activities related to receipt and temporary storage of hazardous waste at a site at Ta' Ghadajma, Mqabba. This variation included the addition of waste codes that are allowed to be stored pending export.