A report by MEPA’s Audit Office which blasts MEPA for not showing any interest in finding alternative sites for the Sant Antnin Plant, reveals that a site in Hal Far was dismissed simply because it fell under government ownership and was operated by a third party.
The report was made public yesterday by AD candidate and former MEPA investigator Carmel Cacopardo who ignored calls by his former boss Joe Falzon not to make the report public.
The report also reveals that studies on the health and odour impact of the plant were never carried out. The report also reveals that Minister George Pullicino had met MEPA officials on four occasions to discuss the application.
The report quotes MEPA’s Major Project Team saying that “the potential site in Hal Far was mentioned, however it transpired it was not readily available since it was in MIP ownership operated by a third party.”
The report has finally seen the light after a whole year of speculation after MEPA asked Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino to stop it’s publication after it received the preliminary report.
On that occasion Auditor Joe Falzon had strongly disagreed with Said Pullicino Pullicino’s decision to stop the report from becoming public.
The Ombudsman had accepted MEPA’s injunction against the reports’ publication arguing that it’s publication would prejudice an appeal against the permit.
MEPA had even objected to Joe Falzon taking the witness stand in court in a case instituted against MEPA by the committee against the recycling plant.
Cacopardo published the report despite the objections of Audit Officer Investigator Joe Falzon.
Falzon who in the past always defended Cacopardo going as far as saying as describing him as “uncorruptible” now rebukes his former investigator for using the report to which Cacopardo had access because of his position at the audit office “for political motives”. Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino has also issued a statement rebuking Cacopardo.
But Carmel Cacopardo insists that he is “morally obliged” to publish the report for transparency’s sake especially now that the Prime Minister has made MEPA reform one of his priorities.
While expressing respect for Joe Falzon’s sense of professionalism, he argues that he is acting as a whistle blower.

Damning report
According to the Audit report MEPA did not adequately investigate the possibility of finding alternative sites to Sant Antnin.
“The alternative Site Assessment was carried out in a very shoddy manner,” Joe Falzon said in the report revealed by Cacopardo.
The law regulating Environment Impact Assessments obliges developers to consider alternative sites.
The Auditor lambastes MEPA for carrying on the Alternative Site Assessment on the basis of a wrongly identified superficial area.
Three sites proposed for a new composting plant to replace the Sant Antnin facility in Marsaskala, refused in favour of keeping the Sant Antnin location, did not satisfy the minimum land area required to accommodate the proposed facility and so could have never been selected.
The alternative sites studied were chosen by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on the mistaken premise that the Sant Antnin plant currently covers a land area of 1.8 hectares.
In fact, the current recycling plant in Marsaskala covers an area of 4.5 hectares
All the alternative sites identified by MEPA were less than half the size of the current location in Marsaskala.

“Logic would have dictated that the process be carried out afresh on the basis of the correct information. The fact that this was not done casts a shadow of doubt on the whole exercise.”
The report now reveals that another site in Hal Far was not even considered.
According to the report “everybody at MEPA was very careful in avoiding the possible identification of a site which could really be considered as an alternative to the Sant’ Antnin site.”
The report also lambastes MEPA for not carrying out certain studies on the health impact of the plant.
“It is clear that the odour impacts were not dealt with at the EIA Stage but were shifted towards the environmental permitting stage.”
The report also lambastes the interference of Minister George Pullicino in the planning process leading to the approval of the controversial permit.
The report refers to various meetings between MEPA officials and Hon Minister for the Environment. No minutes of these meeting were available,
“It is my opinion that holders of political office have no role in the adjudication of planning applications and MEPA should, in my view, resist any attempts at their involvement,” states the report.
Yet the report acknowledges that “at the end of the day it is unlikely that any substantially different decision could have been arrived at relative to the Sant’ Antnin. Project.”
The Auditor refers to MEPA board minutes which show that the utilisation of EU funding for the project “at times seemed to have been of more importance to MEPA than fully understanding and addressing the preoccupations of objectors.”
But by not observing the relevant procedures, as well as by acting generally in a non-transparent manner, “MEPA has once more succeeded in shooting itself in the foot,” as it has reinforced the perception of those who have developed “an allergy towards MEPA and its methods of operation.”

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt