PN slams government for ignoring stench complaints

The Nationalist Party has criticized the government for not explaining the cause of a foul stench at the Sant’Antnin plant in Wied il-Ghajn over the past few weeks, despite several residential complaints.

“Is the door to the room where waste is processed being left opened?” Charlo Bonnici, PN spokesman for the environment, asked.

“Is it because refuse-derived fuel is being left in the plant for longer than it is supposed to be, with the added danger of it catching fire? Is it because grey rubbish bags are being allowed to accumulate at the plant? Is it because specialized and experienced workers have been transferred away from the plant? Is it because a digestion tank has been left open for repairs?”

“Can the government tell us what the plant’s operating hours are? Is the committee that the previous Nationalist administration set up to monitor stenches in the plant still meeting up?" Bonnici asked.

Bonnici asked the government how many inspections from MEPA officials have taken place since March 2013, when the Labour Party won the national elections.

He also challenged the government to give a month-by-month report of how much energy has been generated from organic waste since March 2013.