For a whole decade, government sat on an illegal high explosives warehouse less than 270 metres from public roads despite warnings of catastrophe. By Karl Schembri
Tons of high explosives are stored in an illegal depot near manned Armed Forces facilities, public roads, cultivated land and residences on the outskirts of Nadur, Gozo, despite a clear warning of impending catastrophe a decade ago.
MaltaToday can reveal that up to five tons of quarry explosives and impounded illegal fireworks are being stored in Qortin, close to the bay of San Blas, in a garage belonging to the army that was never designed for explosives.
The precariousness of the situation was described in alarming terms in official correspondence as far back as 10 years ago between the Office of the Prime Minister and the AFM, with the possibility of a catastrophe outlined in no uncertain terms.
The revelation comes at a time when government and the police are stepping up measures to crack down on the illegal storage of explosives and fireworks, some of which has taken place in the midst of residential areas, occasionally with fatal consequences.
Yesterday night, the prime minister’s press secretary said “a full review” was ordered soon after MaltaToday’s questions reached OPM.
“The Prime Minister instructed the Defence Matters Directorate and the AFM to, immediately, conduct a full review of the situation and to submit their recommendations,” Gordon Pisani said yesterday.
And yet, government has been sitting on clear warnings about the illegal store in Gozo since 1998 although, inexplicably, an AFM spokesman also said yesterday that “all these materials are stored according to the standards used in the British Army in that they are segregated according to classification and compatibility.”
Used since the early 1980s as an extension of the Mosta Fort Depot, the illegal Gozo explosives store was meant to ease the burden of quarry owners in need of high explosives who would otherwise have to ship the material every time.
Ironically, the area is also being used to deposit fireworks found in the ongoing blitz by police on similarly illegal fireworks factories and stores, although the AFM claimed the base is used “specifically and solely to store explosives used in hard stone quarrying in Gozo”.
“The actual storage and issue of explosives are carried out under AFM supervision, taking all necessary precautions,” the AFM said. “The storage and issue of explosives from Qortin Base is a practical and relatively safe operation which also reduces the frequency of transportation of explosives material from Mosta Fort to Qortin Base. The amount of explosives kept at Qortin Base is just enough to keep quarrying operations in Gozo smoothly going on for a given period of time.”
Yet official documents show a totally different reality and sources insist the area faces the same potential catastrophe as that described 10 years ago.
In an internal memo sent in May 1998 by then Prime Minister Alfred Sant’s defence advisor Martin Scicluna to the AFM Commander, OPM was said to be “most concerned about the position (of the store) on the over-riding grounds of safety”.
In Scicluna’s own words, “the store contains at any one time some 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms of explosive and numerous detonators. The store is not purpose-built for ammunition storage (it is an ex-garage) and is not earthed against lightning strikes. It is situated in the middle of the camp. An explosion could have catastrophic consequences.”
Former Brigadier Rupert Montanaro had already complained back in May 1998 that the commitment to store civilian explosives in Gozo involved “an onus which we can well do without”.
The area is used as an army training camp where live ammunition is fired by soldiers in their exercises. The soldiers’ quarters and guard room are also situated very close to the garage.
“In our judgement, the safety aspect must be dealt with immediately,” Scicluna had added. “With small arms training and the use of pyrotechnics taking place in the area there is a risk which is not acceptable and should not be taken… the present location, slap in the middle of the living accommodation area, is unsafe and unacceptable.”
The garage itself is in a deteriorating condition and is built above an old underground live electricity cable that is prone to short circuiting.
In September of the same year, Colonel A. Grech reported to the Gozo ministry stating that the Qortin Base Camp was found to be “a most suitable training camp for the AFM”, and that rehabilitation and upgrading works were almost ready.
Col. Grech also raised the issue of the illegal explosives stores “which is hindering the AFM from starting to make full use of the Camp as its training grounds”.
The officer added: “When the store was taken into use (an ex-garage), the regulations appertaining to the storage of explosives were, for unknown reasons, not taken into consideration. These make it unlawful to store explosives at the safe distance of less than 270m from public traffic routes and 380m from a light structure.
The AFM had also found an alternative site for the explosives store at derelict building next to the Gordan Lighthouse, but the road leading to the site needed upgrading, which AFM could not budget for. But the Gozo ministry had also shot down the proposal, refusing to fork out the money for the road.
Senior AFM sources insist that as things stand, the only option that remains is to return all explosives to Mosta Fort until an alternative site is found in Gozo.
By April 2000, AFM was reporting that the explosives dump “is in need of maintenance and refurbishment”, urging “for the necessary works to be made at the earliest in order to ensure that health and safety considerations are kept paramount”.
kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt
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