10 months later: Palumbo investigation still ongoing

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s investigation to determine whether hazardous waste was irregularly covered by a layer of concrete in 2012 is still ongoing, 10 months after enforcement officers collected samples from the site.

In December 2014, three months after the investigation was commenced, a MEPA spokesperson told MaltaToday that the authority had received a laboratory report on the material collected from the site.

But a MEPA spokesperson told MaltaToday investigations are still ongoing. “The Authority is carrying out its investigations using professional specialists and laboratory services,” the spokesperson said.

In September the authority said in a statement it had started investigating the Palumbo site after it received a tip-off that quantities of grit-blasting material were buried in the concrete foundations. 

From initial investigations it resulted that grit-blasting waste, which is generated by Palumbo’s operations, had been used in the foundations of the yard and was buried under the concrete flooring.  

MaltaToday is informed that the major issue is to determine whether the waste was deposited in 2012, when the area from where the samples were taken was cemented, or before Palumbo took over operations. 

Palumbo has denied dumping any grit from its operations, adding that grit-blasting has been used for the past 70 years in the shipyards.

According to the company, the area from where MEPA officers took their samples was previously used as a grit-blasting and spraying section. The company claims that the area was covered in concrete to create more space for boat storage. 

Officers also inspected a gutter which runs across the property with the consequence of possibly contaminating the inland sea.