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Kurt Sansone
A WasteServ official has dispelled the perception among Marsaskala residents that the stench emanating from the composting and recycling plant in the town’s confines was present on more days in a month than neighbours had been accustomed to for the past few years.
Reacting to complaints received by MaltaToday from a number of residents the official said there have been no changes in the way composting is done and neither in any of the operations at the Sant Antnin Waste Treatment Plant.
Engineer Chris Ciantar confirmed to MaltaToday that a daily routine is in place to mitigate the stench that may emanate from the plant. The routine consists of sweeping the routes within the plant from any spillage and litter as well as cleaning conveyors and other related equipment.
Ciantar said the waste received at the plant is processed on the same day to limit nuisance. “We do not leave any leftovers, except when breakdowns occur. Trucks entering the plant are sheeted and regular inspections are carried out,” Ciantar informed this newspaper.
The stench emanating from the composting shed had been a major disconcerting factor for Marsaskala residents during the nineties. A solution was found during the brief Labour administration between 1996 and 1998, which drastically reduced the stench and limited it to certain days of the month. Every now and then, however the stench returns to haunt Marsaskala residents living on the ridge opposite the composting shed for more than just one or two days a month.
The facility. composed of a sewage treatment plant and a recycling and composting area, is scheduled for upgrading in the years to come. Ing Chris Ciantar confirmed WasteServ’s recommendation for an upgrading of the facility and said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the proposed development is currently underway. He also confirmed that air quality tests are part of the EIA and the findings of the exercise will eventually be made public for consultation.
Ciantar said that as part of the process, a survey was conducted among Marsaskala residents to analyse the problems faced by the community.
The plant’s capacity currently stands at 83,000 tonnes per annum. “The new capacity is still under study, as the exact technology is to be determined during the tendering period. Preliminary designs indicate an initial throughput of 35,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste and 35,000 tonnes of packaging waste from bring-in sites,” Ciantar said.
To allay fears that an upgraded facility will also mean an increased stench, Ciantar said WasteServ is insisting that the operation “should take place in an in-vessel system,” a fully and totally closed system.
“The extraction of energy prior to composting is also being considered in the proposed in-vessel system. Hence the conditions and structure of the present plant which is carrying out its operations in the open cannot be used for any comparative measures.
“Moreover, one of the main reasons for this upgrading is to adopt a new and modernised technology to achieve improvements to the working conditions of the work force and residents as a result of Government’s commitment to prioritise this public concern. The investment of 16.7 million Euros is precisely that of ameliorating the current situation as opposed to simply expanding the plant,” Ciantar said.
kurt@newsworksltd.com
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