Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1215405
27.02.2020 16 TOWNSCAPES Seveso III directive prompts revision to planning policy guidance for sites with hazardous material THE Planning Authority has published for public consultation a revision of the Supplementary Planning Policy Guid- ance on Major Accident Hazards and Hazardous Substances. Back in 2005, the Authority had approved a docu- ment which set out a planning policy framework for implementing the land use planning objectives of the EU's Seveso II Directive. Follow the adop- tion of a third update to the Seveso Di- rective, the Authority has updated the land-use policy document to take into account the resultant changes of the new Directive. e Seveso-III Directive was adopt- ed to take into account, amongst oth- ers, the changes in the EU legislation on the classification of chemicals and increased rights for citizens to access information and justice. e Directive applies to more than 12,000 industrial plants in the European Union where dangerous substances are used or stored in large quantities, mainly in the chem- ical and petrochemical industry, as well as in fuel wholesale and storage sectors. e revised Supplementary Planning Policy Guidance on Major Accident Hazards and Hazardous Substances document is subdivided into two parts. Part 1 transposes the SEVESO III Di- rective Article 13 Land Use Planning requirements, while Part 2 sets out the planning policy guidance. e policy document provides land-use guidance in the eventuality that new sites are pro- posed for the development of industrial plants which produce or operate using dangerous chemicals. e document also concerns any modifications to ex- isting hazardous sites or proposed de- velopments in the vicinity of existing sites. Today, there are twelve plants/ sites in Malta for which this policy doc- ument applies. e overarching purpose of this policy document remains that of reducing the number of people at risk and to reduce the likelihood and the extent of harm if an accident occurs. e public and all interested stake- holders are being invited to submit their comments on the revised Sup- plementary Planning Policy Guidance on Major Accident Hazards and Haz- ardous Substances. Representations are to be made in writing and sent through e-mail address: seveso@pa.org.mt. e proposed policy document together with the public submissions received during the initial phase of consultation are available on the Authority's website www.pa.org.mt/consultation.