Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1225830
26.03.2020 10 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 ap- proved a document which set out a planning policy framework for imple- menting the land use planning objec- tives of the EU's Seveso II Directive. Following the adoption of a third up- date to the Seveso Directive, the Au- thority has updated the land-use pol- icy 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 Europe- an Union where dangerous substances are used or stored in large quantities, mainly in the chemical and petrochem- ical industry, as well as in fuel whole- sale and storage sectors. The revised Supplementary Plan- ning Policy Guidance on Major Ac- cident Hazards and Hazardous Sub- stances 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 proposed for the devel- opment of industrial plants which produce or operate using dangerous chemicals. e document also concerns any modifications to existing hazardous sites or proposed developments in the vicinity of existing sites. Today, there are 12 plants/sites in Malta for which this policy document applies. e overarching purpose of this poli- cy document remains that of reducing the number of people at risk and to re- duce 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 Supple- mentary Planning Policy Guidance on Major Accident Hazards and Hazard- ous Substances. Representations are to be made in writing and sent through e-mail ad- dress: seveso@pa.org.mt. e proposed policy document to- gether with the public submissions received during the initial phase of consultation are available on the Au- thority's website www.pa.org.mt/con- sultation Submissions are to reach the Author- ity by tomorrow.