Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/530451
14 THESE are challenging – if a lit- tle depressing – times to be at the forefront of environmental issues in Malta. Yesterday's protest in Valletta may have been sparked by a single planning decision – to sacrifice 150,000 square metres of arable, ODZ land for the construc- tion of a university campus – but lurking in the background were growing concerns that the country is slowly but surely dismantling its environment protection infrastruc- ture. Evidence for this was provided by none other than the CEO of the Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority (MEPA) at a par- liamentary committee meeting last Monday: when he candidly admit- ted that the report authorising the selection of Zonqor Point for this project did not include any input from the Envrionment Protection Directorate (EPD). Alfred E. Baldacchino was present for that meeting, as he has been present for practically every envi- ronmental challenge to face Malta in recent years. I meet the former EPD assistant director at his Attard residence, and find him still re- living the arguments of Monday's animated meeting. Before turning to his complaints about the site-selection process, let's talk a little about the site itself. Zonqor Point. Protestors were in- dignant to hear the place referred to by defenders of the project as a 'wasteland' and 'dumpsite'. What is the significance of this area for peo- ple like Baldacchino? "My comments on the use – or rather, abuse – of this area are mainly based on the negative social and environmental aspects of this project. Because you cannot focus only on the social or environmen- tal aspects; they go hand in hand. One might also add commercial as- pects… but not on their own. Un- fortunately, however, during last Monday's discussion the project was being looked at just from a commercial point of view. And this is an official view of the project, by the competent authority: MEPA, which is still the authority respon- sible for the environment. And al- though the commercial returns, on their own, may be good, one cannot just ignore the social and environ- mental aspects. Because obviously, such a project will have externali- ties: hidden costs which eventually society and the environment will have to pay. Both socially, and eco- logically… This "greed", he adds, has com- pletely eliminated all social and en- vironmental considerations from a decision which was taken almost as an obsession to develop this area. "I like to base my arguments on the electoral manifesto of 'the movement'. I won't call it a 'party', because in my opinion, presently, it would be an insult to the Labour Party and to the concept of social- ism. This is not a socialist party. It is a movement… in fact, the gov- ernment never refers to itself as socialist. To use an environmental- ist analogy: this is a socialist party genetically modified into a far right, capitalist movement. This is shown by the various decisions being tak- en, and also by the help it gets from official entities which are supposed to be qualified and responsible for the management of social and envi- ronmental matters…" One indication was the simple fact that MEPA went ahead and chose Zonqor Point without any basic studies or impact assessment exercises. "The impact on society there, which has not been taken into con- sideration, is enormous. This area is the only open space, the lung, of this part of the island. Yet ac- cording to the electoral manifesto, 'open spaces would be increased for the benefit of the people, from an environment and well-being point of view'. "Great. Agreed. Now, if such an area already exists… why go against this direction, and propose devel- opment which will negatively im- pact society? The loss of that area will have social repercussions from a recreational and educational per- spective, as well as from the point of view of science and ecology. Even commercially... because we also have to consider that the en- vironment also has its commercial value. Development is not the only commercial activity…" Another area where the govern- ment has departed from its pre- electoral pledges directly concerns the environment. "We were told that 'the environ- ment would be given its full impor- tance, and separated from MEPA so that it can function better in the interests of the people'. Agreed. In fact, I said I agreed with this before. But how is it being implemented? The environmental director is cur- rently in limbo… no longer under the responsibility of the minister for the environment: he has no say whatsoever. He falls under the re- sponsibility of the Prime Minister. And not only is the directorate rud- derless, its officials not knowing whom they're answerable to – they don't have a director – but the lat- est blow to the environment is that when MEPA presented an official report to the government, it was a report without any input from the EPD…" The EPD's role would normally be to assess projects from both an eco- logical and also an infrastructural point of view. Baldacchino stresses that a serious decision on a project like this could not have been taken without this information. "The construction of a univer- sity campus for 4,000 students will have a serious impact on the infra- structure, both in the vicinity and beyond. The traffic problem, for in- stance. How will this development impact the well-being of the people in the area, and also the rest of the island? These have not been taken into consideration at all. "Not only that, but the CEO of MEPA, when talking at the com- mittee meeting, made it very clear that the environment directorate has been completely ignored. How can such a report be considered professional and holistic, how can it contribute to the well-being of the country from a social, environmen- tal and even political perspective, when the only unit to have any ex- pertise in this matter is completely by-passed… when its data is com- pletely excluded from the report? Instead, the report was entrusted to somebody 'anonymous'… because MEPA refused to name the officials who drafted it. Then we all pretend that this is a serious, professional document for the government to decide upon in the interests of the country…" This naturally raises the suspi- cion that the decision to propose Zonqor Point was taken first, then all the necessary adjustments were made to the government's environ- ment planning policies to make it happen… Baldacchino shrugs with a wry smile. "This report is… I'll say it in Maltese… 'igib il-bocca hdejn il- likk'. I don't know the equivalent in English…" Neither do I. But it's a pleas- ing analogy for (roughly) 'setting oneself up favourably for the next throw' in bowls… "And this, too, runs counter to the spirit of the Labour Party manifesto before the election," he continues. "That manifesto explained that the 'government would be dedicated to the protection of the environ- ment: not because of the obliga- tions arising from our membership in the EU; but because it is in the interest of the people… of this gen- eration, and future generations'. How do we achieve this? By pre- venting the competent directorate from contributing its data – not its opinions; its data – to the final decision? I cannot understand this. I just can't… unless, of course, the electoral manifesto has not been accepted and taken on board by the movement in government…" Meanwhile there are other indi- cations that official policy docu- ments may be facilitating certain individual projects. It has been noted, for instance, that the newly revised 'Strategic Plan for Environ- ment and Development' has been imbued with ministerial discretion to allow certain deviations from planning regulations "for projects of national importance". Moreo- ver, the document was launched at a time when the Planning Act of 2006 is no longer in force… and the replacement document doesn't go into the same level of detail regard- ing implementation and enforce- ment… does Baldacchino share these concerns about SPED? "In brief, I would describe 'SPED' as a policy document to 'speed up' development at the expense of soci- ety and the environment. I'm a little blunt, but that's how I see it…" He adds that it had already sped up the level of environmental deg- radation. "Although, during the previous administration, the en- vironment wasn't something nice and rosy, today it is far worse. Be- cause all the legislative instruments that were there are being disman- tled. The directorate exists only on paper: perhaps to honour some obligation that we have to have a directorate in the EU. "If there were genuine interest, MEPA would have remained under the ministry for the environment, Interview By Raphael Vassallo maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 JUNE 2015 Blinded by a pro-business VISION It's good to have a pro- business vision, don't get me wrong. But not a blinded one. Not at the expense of society and the environment…" In brief, I would describe 'SPED' [Strategic Plan for Environment and Development] as a policy document to 'speed up' development at the expense of society and the environment 'SPED'