Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1133773
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 NEWS JAMES DEBONO JUST five out of the scores of batching plants operating in Malta are currently covered by an environmental permit to regulate waste management, airborne emissions, storage, effluent discharge and emis- sions to land. Industry sources have con- firmed that demand for tar- mac in Malta is increasing due to ongoing infrastructural projects, which is also leading to an increase in production volumes within these plants. But in the absence of en- vironmental precautions, batching plants are known to be a major source of dust emissions in the air. And the sector remains largely unregulated from an environmental point of view. One main reason is that there is currently no legal obliga- tions for batching plants to apply for an environmental permit. "There is no specific legal obligation under environ- mental law for an environ- mental permit when it comes to concrete/batching plants," a spokesperson for the Envi- ronment and Resources Au- thority, which is responsible for the issue of environmental permits, told MaltaToday. But concrete mixing plants, which form part of quarries, are included in the environ- mental permits issued for the quarry operations. "Quarries that include concrete/batch- ing plants as part of their op- erations are included in the environmental permit for the quarry," the spokesperson said. The ERA was not even in a position to provide a total number of plants currently operating in Malta and Gozo. The five concrete plants covered by an environmental permit are: Ballut Blocks in Naxxar, R.A. & Sons Manu- facturing in Xewkija, the Ta' Zuta quarry plant in Dingli, the Labour Avenue quarry plant in Naxxar and General Precast Concrete in Birzeb- bugia. 13 pending applications in- volving quarries equipped with concrete mixing plants are currently pending. Conditions in these permits oblige operators to take all the necessary measures to abate emissions such as air filters and suppressers if necessary. The operator is also to pro- vide the ERA with all mainte- nance records and changes of equipment. If there is cause, the ERA may, at any time, request the operator to undertake stack emissions or any other tests that may be required. All concrete batching plant and hot/cold asphalt plant equipment is to be installed and operated in accordance with the manufacturer's rec- ommendations, so as to mini- mise the release of dust, vola- tile organic compounds and other gaseous products to air, land and water. The 13 pending applications for environmental permits for batching plants involve facili- ties located in quarries in Sig- giewi, Naxxar, Mqabba, Lija, Ghajnsielem, Xewkija, Zeb- bug, Birzebbugia and Ta' Qali. IDENTITY MALTA AGENCY IMPORTANT NOTICE Foundations & Associations As per the Regulations in Legal Notices 375 and 376 of 2017 regarding the Register of Beneficial Owners Foundations and associations are required to comply with S.L.16.15 and 16.16 of the Civil Code Regulations (Second Schedule) (Register of Beneficial Owners - Foundations) and the Civil Code Regulations (Second Schedule) (Register of Beneficial Owners - Associations) by submitting Form 1 which is available on the Registrar for Legal Persons website (https://identitymalta.com/legalpersons). These regulations apply to ALL foundations and ALL associations, including voluntary organisations, religious organisations, sports organisations, cooperatives, civil partnerships and other legal organisations which have a Statute, which are not exempted in the said regulations (refer to (ii.) in the notes below), WHETHER REGISTERED OR NOT in terms of any law, and WHETHER ESTABLISHED BEFORE OR AFTER 1st January 2018. Additionally, except in the case of those organisations which are already registered with the Regis- trar for Legal Persons at the Public Registry, Malta, an authenticated copy of the latest version of the Statute is to be submitted to the Registrar together with the completed Form 1. A scan of Form 1 and of the Statute may be submitted for review by email to rochelle.magri@gov.mt and to legalpersonsregister.info@gov.mt Please Note as follows: i. The regulations came into effect on 1st January 2018 in order to implement Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing; ii. The following organisations are exempted and are NOT required to comply: foundations established and controlled by the Government of Malta, pious foundations and ecclesiastical entities in the form of foundations, marriage legacies, associations of persons registered under the Companies Act, associations under the Condominium Act, trade unions and employers' associations. iii. Further information and the applicable forms may be obtained from the Registrar for Legal Persons website (https://identitymalta.com/legalpersons); iv. The said Regulations on the Beneficial Owners of Foundations and Associations, the Explanatory Notes and Method of Submission are also found on the said webpage; v. For further information, kindly contact the Office of the Registrar for Legal Persons, at the Public Registry, Identity Malta Agency, Evans Building Level 1, Merchants Street, Valletta, or via telephone on 25904108/9 or via email to hilary.grech@gov.mt and rochelle.magri@gov.mt. Deadline for submission is 30 th June, 2019 Non-compliance will entail the charging of penalties as per the said regulations. Subsequent changes after the submission of Form 1 require the submission of Form 2 within fourteen (14) days, as stipulated in the Regulations, on pain of penalties. Office of the Registrar for Legal Persons Evans Building, Level 1, Merchants Street, Valletta, Malta t: +356 2590 4108/9 Business booming for batching plants, yet few have permits