Recycling plant workers are not at ‘imminent risk’ or ‘danger’

Environment Minister Leo Brincat and shadow minister George Pullicino have engaged in a war of words over the temporary closure of Marsaskala family park after a team of experts opinionated the park should be declared "out of bounds".

Soon after his appointment as minister, Brincat commissioned a team of experts, led by environmentalist Edward Mallia, to carry out a review of the operations of the Sant Antnin waste recycling plant. The plant is managed by Wasteserv.

While the review was being carried out, a technical fault occurred at the plant in May. A decision to temporarily close the park was taken at a political level and not by Wasteserv's management. The decision was taken last week when the minister was presented with the report.

Brincat's ministry has argued that while at no point sulphur emissions were detected in the air - due to the fault - the government still wanted to act cautiously to safeguard people's health.

This has however prompted the Opposition spokespersons for the environment, George Pullicino and Charlo Bonnici, to question why "the workers' health was being put at risk, if the danger truly existed".

The ministry has reassured that no imminent risk or danger existed for the workers, as all emissions were below the levels established by EU regulations. If, however, the level of sulphur emissions were to surpass those established by the EU, real time gas detectors would immediately sound the alarm.

"On the other hand, park visitors can in no way detect similar air pollution," the ministry said.

The Opposition, which criticised the closure of the park, is now asking why the decision to close the park was taken now and not in May when the fault occurred. It has also asked whether anyone who visited the park over the weeks "had been put at risk".

The environment ministry has reassured that at no point did the emissions breach levels set by the EU.