James Debono A study commissioned by the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority has revealed the scale of degradation in an offshore site northeast of Valletta.
An estimated 532,125 tonnes of waste was disposed at sea since 2007, while over one million tonnes were dumped between 2003 and 2006.
Since no regulatory framework existed before 2002, the authorities have no idea on how much waste was dumped prior to that date.
The study was carried out by Scott Wilson, UK at a cost of €23,393.
According to a spokesperson for MEPA, the study presents a picture of “a site that has been subjected to dumping operations for over 50 years under different regulatory regimes”, adding that “the result of the survey results reflect this”.
The aim of the study was to have a general idea on the nature and extent of the spoil ground, noting that dumping of material has been taking place since the end of World War II when the site was used extensively for the dumping of war.
“It is also to be noted that for decades, the nature of the material dumped on site was not subject to the regulatory regime that has been in place over the last five years or so,” the MEPA spokesperson said.
The study surveyed a spatial extent of about 32km2 which covers the spoil ground and adjacent areas. The study indicated that the largest accumulation of dumped material is located in the general area of the designated spoil ground.
MEPA only allows the dumping of uncontaminated construction wastes and monitors all dumping operations.
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