All major impacts of proposed Gozo tunnel should be studied – AD

by Gozo News · August 14, 2018

All major impacts of proposed Gozo tunnel should be studied - AD Alternattiva Demokratika has said that all major impacts of the proposed Gozo tunnel should be studied in detail.

In a statement AD said that it has today presented its submissions in response to the public consultation relative to the Malta-Gozo tunnel, which closes tomorrow.

AD emphasised that in addition to the ares normally investigated in an EIA the following five areas should also be focused upon:

“Transport Policy: in particular the proposed tunnel should be examined in view of the provisions, targets and policy objectives of the National Transport Strategy 2050 and the National Transport Master Plan 2025.” AD said that such an examination should also lead to the consideration of alternative solutions to the proposed tunnel.

It also stated that the geological studies should be concluded and be examined critically.

AD added that “the preliminary designs should be concluded, and on this basis preliminary realistic costings should be concluded and be subjected to a critical analysis. In particular a realistic feasibility study should form part of the EIA.”

Also forming part of the EIA studies should be a detailed analysis on the impact of the tunnel proposal on the water resources along the whole route of the tunnel, said AD. “In particular the impacts on the Mizieb aquifer should be analysed in detail in view of Malta’s commitments spelt out in the Water Framework Directive of the EU.”

The fifth point made by AD, said that a detailed analysis of the tunnel proposal on the Pwales Valley eco-system, including most importantly the Simar Nature Reserve, an EU Natura 2000 site, should form part of the EIA studies primarily to understand the impact of the proposed intervention on the valley eco-system but also in view of Malta’s commitments spelt out in the Habitats Directive of the EU.

Alternattiva Demokratika concluded by saying that “this will ensure that all potential major impacts of the proposed Malta-Gozo tunnel are examined in detail.”