Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar in a statement has voiced its concern on an “important case” being heard by the MEPA Board today, in particular, the NGO said, it is concerned about the case of the Ta’ Muxi Quarry at Qala.

The application concerned is PA 4811/10 Renewal of permission PA3105/05: Hard stone quarry – To extract and crush coralline rock, site at, Hard Stone Quarry HG 12, Ta’ Klement, Qala, Gozo PA 3534/13 Renewal of permission PA 6894/98 -to extend hard stone quarry, site at, Hard Stone Quarry HG 12, Ta’ Klement, Qala, Gozo

FAA said that the Case Officer’s claim that “there are no particular concerns for the renewal of permit” – contrasts sharply with the objections by the Qala Local Council, representing Qala residents who have for years suffered the polluting traffic of heavy trucks passing through the narrow village streets instead of the bypass – as stipulated in the quarry permit. “Now that the permits are up for renewal, the trucks have overnight started respecting the permit conditions,” FAA said.

“The Case Officer also claims that there are no pending enforcements, even though the site was rife with massive abuse, as documented in the photographs above.”

FAA asks whether this large-scale abuse has been cleared. Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar said that it “is very sceptical about the imposition of permit conditions since in the past these have not been imposed, in spite of FAA providing evidence of abuse to the former MEPA Chairman.”

“The issuing of quarry permits requires the submission and assessment of extensive ecological, hydrological, heritage and geological reports, including an Environment Impact Assessment; we have been unable to trace any such reports on the MEPA website,” said FAA.

“Moreover we highlight the fact that the proposal to create an ecological/heritage park from Dahlet Qorrot to Hondoq ir-Rummien included part of the site to be affected by the quarry extension.”

FAA has also quoted the Heritage Advisory Committee’s concern “that files related to this case have gone missing – not the first time in controversial cases. The HAC Committee members also highlight the fact that the Ta’ Muxi quarry has been operating abusively, without a valid permit, since 2010.”

FAA points out that there are a number of important permit conditions for the protection of heritage and prevention of pollution which, the NGO said, have been annulled in the proposed permit.

FAA concluded by saying that it “maintains that in the light of this quarry operator’s ongoing record of abuse, MEPA’s lack of commitment to take action over such abuse, and the impact that this enormous, sprawling quarry has on the health and quality of life of Qala residents, these permits should be refused.”

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