PN against Magħtab incinerator plans

Updated at 1:38pm to reflect PA vote in favour of incinerator

The Nationalist Party is opposed to the Magħtab waste incinerator proposed by government and urged the Planning Authority board to reject the permit.

PN environment spokesperson Robert Cutajar said the party is not opposed to waste incineration but argued the Magħtab proposal will be taking up more agricultural land than required.

The PN press conference was held a few hours before the Planning Authority board met to discuss the project. The PA eventually approved the Magħtab incinerator with seven votes in favour and two against.

Cutajar said the process leading up to the choice of the site was vitiated and no proper site selection study was carried out. “We are not against the Magħtab location but a proper study should have been carried out to determine the best location and what is being proposed is double the size of what is required.”

According to the project’s impact assessment three other locations apart from Magħtab were considered – Ta’ Barkat in Xgħajra, near the Sant’Antnin recycling plant in Marsaskala and the Delimara power station site in Marsaxlokk. Magħtab was found most suitable.

Asked whether a PN government will stop the Magħtab project if the permit is approved, Cutajar said the Opposition will continue to monitor developments, including the tendering process and “every eventuality will be considered” in due course.

He said a PN government before 2013 had plans to build a waste incinerator but government “wasted nine years”. The plans were to construct the incinerator at Delimara.

When asked whether the PN had the credibility to criticise the Magħtab project when a similar process to choose the location for the Marsaskala recycling plant under a PN government was declared vitiated by the courts, Cutajar insisted that people have already passed judgement on the PN.

“The PN in government did a lot for the environment but we were not perfect but people judged us and people now have nine years of a PL government to judge,” he said.

Cutajar said the original impact assessment of the Magħtab project was vitiated because of a conflict of interest and no consultation was carried out with local councils and farmers who will be impacted by the project.

He appealed to the PA board members to reject the project.

The press conference, held just before the start of the PA board meeting was also addressed by PN MP Karl Gouder and candidate James Aaron Ellul.