Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/713415
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 AUGUST 2016 7 News Enemalta applies to provide electricity to Gnejna boathouses JAMES DEBONO ENEM ALTA has applied to de- velop a 200-metre trench con- necting an electricity feeder lo- cated in an existing car park to "nearby properties" at Gnejna. The properties in question consist of boathouses carved in the rock face which are on the receiving end of various plan- ning enforcement orders issued in the past decades, including one covering the whole area is- sued in 2007. The enforcement orders is- sued against the commissioner of land and various landowners in the area are still pending ac- tion by the Planning Authority. A spokesperson for the corpo- ration confirmed the planning application was submitted "to consolidate the existing elec- tricity infrastructure in this area of Mgarr" and that the pro- posed development is required "for additional services the company is being requested to provide in the area." But when asked which proper- ties would be benefitting from the development, Enemalta re- plied that it does not "divulge information about specific cus- tomers or applicants requesting its services" and that it "pro- vides electricity services who fulfill the necessary require- ments" found in application forms. One of the requirements men- tioned in the application forms is a compliance certificate is- sued by the Planning Authority. The boathouses were built il- legally by digging through the soft globigerina limestone or excavating the clay slopes on the sides of the headland. Most of the boathouses are used by fishermen to store fish- ing equipment. Government to appoint ERA substitute CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Al- though Axiak 's comments had no bearing on the vote, as only members who are present can participate in the vote, his comments could have inf lu- enced other members of the board on the way they voted. The 38-storey tower was ap- proved by 7 votes against 6. Those who voted against in- cluded PA chairman Vince Cassar, deputy chairman Eliz- abeth Ellul and opposition rep- resentative Ryan Callus. The government representative, Labour MP Joe Sammut, voted in favour of the project. Before the vote was taken executive chairman Johann Buttigieg declared that the project as proposed was in full conformity with planning pol- icies, thus contradicting the views of chairman Cassar, who noted that the project was not surrounded by four streets as required by the policy regulat- ing tall buildings. Had Axiak voted against the tower permit, the chairman would have had the final say through his casting vote. When asked by MaltaToday, Axiak refused to declare how he would have voted if he had been present at the meeting. "My views on the environ- ment are well known and I have shared my views with both the Environment and Resources Authority board and the Plan- ning Authority board," he said. In comments on the project's Environment Planning State- ment the ERA noted that the impact on residents, played down somewhat in the EPS as 'short term', would be in- deed significant because ex- cavation was going to take 10 months and construction four years, in an already densely populated area that surrounds the proposed tower. I t also described the suggestion to residents to "keep windows shut" during the con- struction of the Sliema tower an "unreasonable". The ERA also expressed concern on the visual impact of the project. While the EPS consultants, who are commis- sioned by the Gasan Group, warned that the project would have a major impact when seen from Tower Road and from the Preluna Hotel, the ERA insist- ed that the project would also have a major impact when seen from Manoel Island and the Valletta ferry landing. Axiak also revealed that the government is addressing the legal anomaly, which prevent- ed ERA from sending a substi- tute for Axiak in view of his ill- ness. The problem is that only board members whose names are published in the govern- ment gazette can participate in board meetings. "The situation can be easily addressed by appointing a sub- stitute member who can take my place whenever there is an indisposition." Axiak also confirmed that he was indisposed at an ERA meeting held on Friday during which the authority decided not to appeal the board deci- sion. Aquaculture department study 'does not exclude' fish farms as source of pollution Committee tasked to investigate pollution of Malta's east coast meets to draft stronger enforcement MIRIAM DALLI A study commissioned in the past days and car- ried out by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Depart- ment did not exclude that the source of sludge seen in Malta's seas on the east side of the island are fish farms. According to the Minis- try for the Environment, there are five operators in the area, two of which are facing enforcement orders by the Planning Authority. Both cases are at appeals stage; the chief executive of the Environment and Resources Authority, Ru- ben Abela, has informed the ministry that he will be calling on the environ- ment and planning review tribunal to treat the cases with urgency. In a statement released yesterday evening, the ministry announced that the committee tasked with investigating the source of the slime met yesterday morning. The committee, appointed by Environment Minister José Herrera, is composed of Abela, Plan- ning Authority CEO Jo- hann Buttigieg and Fish- eries Department director general Andreina Fenech Farrugia. The committee is set to draft proposals for strong- er enforcement against operators who abuse, and suggest additional regula- tions to protect the envi- ronment. "This industry contrib- utes a lot to the economy, but the environment needs to be safeguarded as well," the Environment Minister said. Herrera, the statement added, will be making use of "all the powers" granted to him by law to ensure that the regulations are observed. Swimmers at Marsascala, but not only, have complained of sea sludge and foul smells that have plagued the seas. Similar reports were lodged by visitors in St Paul's Bay, Delimara, Mistra Bay and Birzebbuga. Even Archbishop Charles Sci- cluna, last month, was compelled to take to Twitter to report on the "northerly wind" that had laced the Sirens waterfront with "gelatinous white muck from the fish farms". Last month, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, took to Twitter to report "gelatinous white muck from the fish farms" in St Paul's Bay