LNG terminal: government must table all safety reports

An expert's report on the floating LNG terminal, which the government is citing as a safety guarantee, made an important disclaimer that the government was not taking into consideration, PN executive committee president Ann Fenech said.

Fenech said that the Occupation Health and Safety Authority's preliminary report by George Papadakis explicitly stated that he did not study the possibility of gas explosions due to its "high improbability".

"But Papadakis continues to say that the high improbability of gas explosions are down to the assumption that the surrounding area is ignition-free. Are we sure about this?" Fenech asked.

Fenech said the Malta Freeport - located at the other end of Marsaxlokk Bay - was a clear example where ignition, caused by friction when containers are unloaded, could happen.

These are not scaremongering tactics, but merely common sense. Why is the government putting Marsaxlokk residents at unnecessary peril? Ann Fenech

Fenech said the Opposition's intention was not to stop the berthing of the LNG terminal inside Marsaxlokk harbour, but that all safety reports and experts' opinion are taken into consideration in order to put the residents' mind at rest.

"I assure you that these are not scaremongering tactics, merely common sense. Why is the government putting Marsaxlokk residents at unnecessary peril? The government should revisit its plans and note this important disclaimer, or ask Papadakis to look into this in further detail," Fenech said.

She added that the main consideration of the government regards the LNG storage was related to expenditure, since if this is installed inside the harbour it would be much cheaper than if it was installed further away, even though the latter would be a much safer option. 

Nationalist MEP candidate Therese Comodini Cachia lashed out at MEPA for organising a consultation meeting with the Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia local councils behind closed doors, scheduled for tonight.

"If this is public consultation, why is it occurring behind closed doors? The residents should be invited to voice their concern," Comodini Cachia said. 

The MEP hopeful remarked that the government was manipulating the public consultation process, by deciding which reports to publish and which not.