Palumbo toxic waste investigation concluded, action promised

An investigation carried out by the Planning Authority to determine whether hazardous waste at the Palumbo shipyards had been illegally covered by a layer of concrete in 2012 has been concluded.

But more than 21 months after enforcement officers collected samples from the site, neither the Planning Authority nor the Environment Resources Authority are in a position to reveal the results of  the investigation.

The PA and ERA are in discussions “to determine the most appropriate actions to be taken following the investigations,” a spokesperson for the PA said.

On his part Environment Resources Authority chairperson Victor Axiak insisted that “it would not be opportune to disclose the results of any reports and tests carried out, at this stage”.

Axiak also confirmed that the two authorities are discussing “what would be the most appropriate and effective actions to be taken following the investigations”.

In September 2014 the authority said in a statement it had started investigating the Palumbo site after it received a tip off that quantities of grit blasting material were buried in the concrete foundations.

From initial investigations it results that grit-blasting waste, which is generated by Palumbo’s operations, had been used in the foundations of the yard and was buried under the concrete flooring.

In December 2014 three months after the investigation commenced, a planning authority spokesperson told MaltaToday that it had received a laboratory report on the material collected from the site.  

Up until July 2015 investigations were still on going. “The authority is carrying out its investigations using professional specialists and laboratory services”, the spokesperson said.

MaltaToday is informed that the major issue is to determine whether the waste was deposited in 2012, when the area from where the samples were taken was cemented, or before Palumbo took over operations. 

Palumbo has denied dumping any grit from its operations, adding that grit blasting has been used for the past 70 years. 

According to the company the area from where MEPA officers took their samples was previously used as a grit blasting and spraying section. The company claims that the area was covered in concrete to create more space for boat storage.

But in 2015, both father and son Antonio and Raffaele Palumbo were indicted by a Messina court for having carried out the illegal dumping of shipping waste at their Italian shipyards. They had been placed under house arrest in 2013 when investigations commenced.

Raffaele and Antonio Palumbo