Incinerator workers hospitalised after breathing polluted air, PN claims

Nationalist Party says it received complaints about foul smells emanating from Marsa incinerator and Marsakala recycling plant

The Thermal Treatment Facility in Marsa
The Thermal Treatment Facility in Marsa

The Nationalist Party has said it is concerned about the state of the Marsa incinerator and the Sant’ Antin recycling plant in Marsaskala, after receiving complaints from various residents and business owners about very strong foul smells coming from the two facilities.

PN MP and environment spokesperson Jason Azzopardi said on Monday that the party knew of at least one case where employees at the Marsa Thermal Treatment Facility were hospitalised with vomiting due to the effects of air polluted by the foul smells of the plant’s incinerator.

The incident - which happened a few days ago and of which the Environment and Resources Authority is aware - was caused solely by the incompetence of Environment Minister Jose Herrera. Azzopardi said.

On the Sant Antnin’ plant, Azzopardi noted that, despite promises from Herrera and the Prime Minister that a new shed would be built following the destruction of part of the facility in a massive fire in May, this hadn’t transpired.

“Two years later, not even a single plank of the shed has been laid,” Azzopardi said, also highlighting that three of the four waste digesters at the Marsaskala plant are in need of repairs and are creating large sludge puddles which cause bad odours and are dirtying the surrounding area.

The Malta North complex in Magħtab also contains a slot of equipment which has been in a state of disrepair for months on end, which preventing the correct separation of waste disposed of in grey bags, Azzopardi added.

“It is truly the case that nobody can top the Environment Minister when it comes to false promises,” he said, “Due to the minister’s incompetence, resident and businesses in Marsakala are suffering the consequences of foul smells, which are damaging to health.”