Residents call for more transparency on Maghtab hazardous waste incinerator

A group of over 50 residents from Naxxar, St Paul’s Bay, Mosta, Swieqi, Pembroke, and nearby areas protested against the planned Magħtab incinerator, demanding answers on its health impact from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the government.

“Calling this ecohive will not change the planned toxic emissions going into our lungs,” said one of the residents during the protest.

The protest took place in front of the Magħtab site, where a new complex of waste treatment plants is planned, including incineration for black bag waste and industrial waste. 

The project was announced last year with the intention to replace the existing Marsa Thermal Treatment Facility, which will process a significantly higher volume of waste.

The new facility will process a wide range of waste streams, including carcasses, clinical waste, waste oils, abattoir by-products, and industrial chemicals.

However, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had concluded that emissions from the proposed hazardous waste incinerator in Magħtab will have a negligible impact on air quality.

According to the residents, this development will release toxic fumes across a six-kilometre radius, affecting around a third of the island.

Another resident raised concern about the wider impact: “This planned incinerator is meant to be emitting toxic fumes all over our houses in a six-kilometre radius around Magħtab, touching a third of Malta.”

The protest followed a public meeting organised by ERA as part of the statutory impact assessment consultation. However, residents say the meeting failed to provide clear answers.

“ERA did not have answers to our questions on the project’s impact on our health. Is it true that most European countries are phasing down incinerators as they are not considered safe for human health?” asked one concerned resident.

The protest was also attended by MEP Peter Agius and MP Claudette Buttigieg.

MEP Peter Agius said the Magħtab incinerator project does not meet the strict health and safety checks required by EU law.

“EU rules say incinerator projects must include a deep study of how they affect people’s health, as well as strong systems to check and monitor pollution. But none of these seem to be properly in place for the Magħtab project,” Agius said.

He pointed out that residents cannot trust the government to protect their health in the running of an incinerator emitting dangerous pollutants, pointing out "its poor track record in implementing environmental standards in many other areas, from sewage in the seas to overall air quality."

MP Claudette Buttigieg also pointed out that residents have already voiced their objections to ERA both in person and in writing, but their concerns are still being ignored.

“The reports from so-called experts are not answering the real questions. We call on the Government to support the hiring of an independent expert chosen by the residents. The planned incinerators and their foreseen emissions are a problem to many localities beyond Magħtab and Naxxar,” she said.

In a video shared on social media, Agius and Buttigieg urged residents to ask questions about the incinerator’s effects and support calls for clarity. “This is not a question of red or blue. Our health concerns us all,” they said.