FAA concerned over MEPA board's consideration of cement silo

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar expressed concern over the outcome of an upcoming MEPA board meeting, scheduled for Thursday 6 March, when the board will be considering the Environmental Permit for the illegal cement silo which was built without a permit adjacent to the Kordin Grain Terminal.

The MEPA Case Officer is recommending that this permit should be granted in spite of the fact that two Health Risk Assessments have concluded that there was significant risk of the cement poisoning the grain.

“The cement silo never processed a development application through the MEPA process as it was legally obliged to do,” said Antonio Anastasi, manager of the FAA. “It only received the go-ahead to build in a letter issued illegally by the Dr Ian Stafrace, the previous CEO who had no authority to do so.

“To make matters worse the present CEO, the Chairman and the Head of Enforcement head and eventually the Parliamentary Secretary were implicated by allowing this development to reach its conclusion.”

FAA highlighted the fact that a ‘Temporary Permit’ was recently issued to allow this illegal cement silo. The project that lacks all permits and was issued with an enforcement notice. Following research, the FAA reports that no reference to this temporary permit was found.

FAA quoted Dr Cali Corleo, the Cement Silo’s own risk assessor, who said, “It is unlikely that this silo operation will be completely free from all fugitive emissions and so the possibility that the grain being handled nearby will be subject to a level of contamination from cement dust remains present even following the application of best practices."

If the MEPA board decides to refuse the permit, it runs the risk of being sued. It will also be allowing the developer to appeal to the independent Review Tribunal. 

“FAA trusts that the Board will have the moral integrity to refuse this permit, if not for its blatant illegality at least to safeguard the public, and especially our children's health,” FAA said.