Pet cemetery exempted from EIA

No environment impact assessment will be carried out about the planned incinerator set to burn the carcasses of hundreds of animals in a cemetery to be located opposite a flea market frequented by hundreds of people on Sundays.

This is because preliminary studies show that the plant will neither produce any dangerous emissions nor hazardous waste.

The justification given is that the cemetery will include an incineration facility, which will operate at a temperature in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, thus ensuring complete combustion and no emissions of hazardous gases.

To avoid firing up the incinerator for each individual cremation, carcasses will be stored in a freezer and burned in sequence.

Although  “minor heat and energy emissions may occur”, these are not deemed to have a significant impact on the environment.

These emissions will be of low significance due to an additional  secondary burning process.

The 1,800 square metre cemetery is being proposed in the Ta’ Qali National Park on fallow land outside the ring road opposite the large parking area where a flea market operates on Sundays. 

In close proximity to the site is the St Francis Animal Hospital.

The new cemetery will accommodate the ashes of 17,000 animals. At present 4,000 carcasses are sent annually to WasteServ to be disposed of, and an unknown number are buried by owners on their own properties.

The animal cemetery was proposed by the Labour Party in its electoral manifesto.

But the burial of animals is banned by EU regulations, which consider the carcasses of pets as an animal by-product that should be incinerated for health and safety considerations. 

Therefore the proposed cemetery will consist of rows of walls containing urns holding the ashes.

EU law allows member states to derogate from the rules to allow the burial of pets and horses but this must be done at a safe distance to avoid any health risks. This option was not practical in minuscule Malta.