[WATCH] PD denounces Esplora construction waste dumped at sea in Kalkara

PD denounces Esplora construction waste dumped at sea in Kalkara

The Democratic Party is calling for the Environment and Resources Authority's remit to be strengthened, to allow the authority the ability to protect the environment and monitor projects.

“The ERA needs to be provided with the resources to be able to monitor works, enforce the parameters and limitations in permits and veto power must be given to it to prevent destructive Planning Authority decisions. We thank the employees of the ERA for their good work, and they must be allowed to do more and their expertise respected,” MEP candidate Camilla Appelgren said.

The PD said a permit for works at the Esplora Centre in Kalkara had led to waste being dumped in the nearby waters, calling into question whether the contracts had subsequently been breached. The PD also questioned why the permit was given, without proper provision to protect the harbour. “While ERA has cleared illegally dumped waste aboveground, there is waste underwater which persists,” Appelgren said.

"Malta is suffering from a cowboy attitude when it comes to the illegal dumping of waste, and Partit Demokratiku has been at the forefront in reporting this to authorities and preventing the destruction of our environment as a result of it," MEP candidate Martin Cauchi Inglott said.