With reference to Mr. Paul L. Cardona’s reaction (The Times, July 7) to our position on the re-definition of incineration, FoE (Malta), together with several other FoE groups across Europe, oppose incineration for one simple reason– incineration does nothing to create a shift towards more sustainable and equitable use of the world’s resources. In fact,...
Friends of the Earth (Malta) today called on EU Environment Ministers to reject a plan to redefine waste incineration from ‘disposal’ to ‘recovery’, arguing that the redefinition would promote environmentally-damaging incineration and is, in any case, unnecessary. Under current EU law, most incinerators are defined as disposal installations, and installations can only be defined as...
It is shocking to hear that the proposed and much awaited new landfill at Ghallis will last for only seven years. This, despite the fact that time and time again government had pledged that this facility will have a 20 year lifespan. FoE claims that since the waste management strategy was published in 2001, the...
Friends of the Earth (Malta) has noted with concern recent declarations by the Government and the opposition regarding land reclamation. FoE (Malta) strongly recommends that stone be seen as a valuable natural resource of the Maltese Islands. It should therefore be used in a sensible and sustainable manner first prior to resorting to dumping it...
Friends of the Earth (Malta) is reviewing the EIS on the temporary engineered landfills presented by SLR last week and has already noticed serious shortcomings in the study. Apart from details, the SLR EIS does not properly weigh up all the possible alternatives to the proposed sites, as expected following the EIS’s terms of reference....
The discussion about landfills has sent several people scurrying to suggest that incineration, or a similar technology is adopted instead of landfills as a solution for waste disposal. Friends of the Earth Malta has opposed incineration and other similar end of pipe solutions for a number of years and will continue to resist this type...
The terms of reference for the above application should consider as a minimum: the zero option: ie that the so-called interim landfills are not necessary and the option of using Maghtab until another site is determined for Malta’s landfill is selected and prepared to accept separated waste that if it is found that Malta cannot...
In January of this year consultants Scott Wilson addressed NGOs in a meeting chaired by then minister Francis Zammit Dimech and said that the Maghtab dump was not worrying. Although FoE Malta has its reservations about the experts statements, Scott Wilson said that according to their studies of the impacts of the site, there was...
FoE Malta would like to meet the minister responsible for resources to discuss the idea that Malta needs two landfill sites before using the one planned in its waste management strategy. When discussions were being held in preparation for Malta’s waste management strategy, FoE (Malta) had shown that the estimates of waste arisings were exaggerated,...
The plans to have temporary landfills should be avoided, Friends of the Earth said today. The government should make public the studies that have been carried out on the permanent landfill site, and start work on the most acceptable site as soon as possible. In the meantime, waste separation at source should take off in as many localities as...
