Fisheries’ co-op boss files judicial protest on LNG vessel

National fisheries cooperative president Ray Bugeja has filed a judicial protest in court demanding that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority refrain from taking a decision on the liquefied natural gas terminal in Marsaxlokk, before a maritime impact assessment is finalised.

Bugeja presented the application with his wife Gabrielle Bugeja, and assisted by lawyer and PN executive committee president Ann Fenech.

The Opposition is opposing the siting of the LNG tanker inside the Marsaxlokk harbour, which is crucial for the delivery of LNG to a new 215MW power plant at Delimara.

Bugeja told the press outside the courts today that a substantial number of Marsaxlokk residents and business owners approaching him because they felt aggravated by the government’s plans to site the LNG vessel inside the harbour.

“We were promised something and given another. While we do not challenge the government’s mandate to run the power station on gas rather than heavy fuel oil, we insist that the government has no mandate to put the safety and security of the residents in harm’s way,” he said.

The judicial protest claims that the vessel carrying 136,000 cubic metres of LNG will put residents and businesses in Marsaxlokk at risk.

“While MEPA had requested a Marine Impact Assessment, this has not yet been made available, yet the Authority is set to decide on the project next Monday. The Authority cannot reach a fair conclusion without a report that details the effects that such a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) will have on the fishing industry, the impact of storms on the facility, and the risks entailed when refueling tankers are in harbour, given the restrictive size of the port of Marsaxlokk,” Bugeja said.

Lawyer Ann Fenech, who signed the judicial protest, said that MEPA was relying on the Papadakis report, which the OHSA presented on the 24 February 2014, and which report states that “the immediate ignition of releases is a remote probability assuming that the areas with the boundaries of the Regasification Unit, the FSU location including loading and unloading are ignition free.”

“However, same report reads that immediate ignition is not considered in the present study and possible jet fires at the release source are not examined,” Fenech said. “What happens if an accident takes place, or a fisherman passing by the FSU has an ignition source, or spark, on board?”

Fenech said that in view of the Papadakis omissions, MEPA could not discuss a permit for the FSU, unless it seeks the expert opinion of George Papdakis on the effects that an ignition source close to the gas facility will have.

The judicial protest also states that on 13 November, 2013, Transport Malta’s chief officer for ports and yachts, told Enemalta’s chief executive officer that a risk assessment report had to be conducted for the FSU. “It is recognised that LNG operations imply additional risk areas that would need to be evaluated, with appropriate risk controls and mitigation measures put into place,” Bugeja said.

The Bugeja couple requested MEPA to postpone the meeting of Monday 24 March to a date after a full Marine Impact Assessment is carried out and until George Papadakis has expressed his opinion about the effects of ignition sources next to the gas release points.