Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/737583
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2016 News Thursday TVM 20:50 Opposition MPs walk out of in protest after Mizzi addresses the House Simon Busuttil leads his MPs out of the House after Konrad Mizzi stands up to speak of power station, says Opposition doesn't recognise legitimacy of minister without portfolio TIM DIACONO OPPOSITION MPs yesterday evening staged a protest walk out of Parliament after minister Kon- rad Mizzi took the floor to explain details related to the LNG power station project. PN leader Simon Busuttil said that the Opposition leader didn't recognise Mizzi's legitimacy, given his ownership of an offshore Pan- ama company and hence led his MPs out of the Chamber. Environment minister Jose Her- rera was delivering a ministerial statement on Malta's ratification of the Paris climate change agree- ment, and fielded several questions from the Opposition benches con- cerning the LNG tanker that will be docked in Marsaxlokk Bay as part of the power station project. During his speech, he asked Miz- zi to explain technicalities on the project. Mizzi had served as energy and health minister but the Prime Minister demoted him to a "min- ister without portfolio" earlier this year after he was revealed to own an offshore company in the Pana- ma Papers scandal. Although Joseph Muscat is now officially the energy minister, Miz- zi has maintained oversight over major energy projects. As Mizzi stood up to speak, Busuttil repeatedly insisted that Muscat should re-enter the House to speak about the power station project. "Muscat is the energy minister and he should therefore be the one to speak in Parliament on energy- related issues," he told Speaker An- glu Farrugia. However, Farrugia said that Her- rera had a right to pass the mic on to Mizzi, prompting the Opposi- tion leader to stage a walk-out. In his speech, Mizzi said that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) will publish all report in its possession related to safety, emissions and maritime risk assessments in relation to the LNG tanker that will be docked in Mar- saxlokk Bay as part of the power station project. This will precede a 30-day public consultation period, after which ERA will take an official stance on the Armada LNG Mediterrana. "The project is part of the Labour government's energy roadmap and the tanker is an interim measure pending the construction of a gas pipeline between Malta and Italy," he said. "The government will next year apply for permits to construct the pipeline, both in Malta and in Italy." In response to questions by shadow environment minister Marthese Portelli, Herrera insisted that the authorities are following the set procedures and EU direc- tives in applying for an Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control permit for the tanker. "In an ideal world, we wouldn't have a tanker, a power station or industrial zones, and the entire island will be nothing but fields, flowers and beaches. However, un- fortunately, Malta isn't a region but a country, which is why we have to stress the importance of sustain- able development." Busuttil asks authorities to remove LNG tanker from Marsaxlokk Konrad Mizzi pledges full transparency on LNG tanker, accuses PN leader Simon Busuttil of trying to ruin power station project TIM DIACONO THE LNG tanker which sailed into Marsaxlokk on Monday was once again at the centre of a war of words between government and the Opposition with Minister Konrad Mizzi accusing PN leader Simon Busuttil of trying to ruin the new power plant project. Yesterday, Mizzi pledged "full transparency" over the LNG tank- er that is set to be berthed in Marsaxlokk Bay af- ter Busuttil urged the environment and occupation- al health and safety authori- ties to block its entrance into the port. Mizzi, a former energy minister who was demoted to a 'minister without port- folio' following the Panama Pa- pers revelations, hit out at Busut- til for doing all in his power to try and ruin Labour's landmark LNG power station project. "Busuttil can't stomach the fact that the government has managed to turn the energy sector around – from a situation in which tariffs were high, the country was reliant on heavy fuel oil and Enemalta had failed, to one in which tariffs have been reduced, energy production is shifting from oil to gas, and En- emalta is back on its feet." He said that the Delimara power station will reduce particulate matter by 90% and emissions by 50%, and that the public realize that they will ultimately benefit from such a shift in energy pro- duction. Busuttil earlier sent two let- ters to the Environment and Re- sources Authority (ERA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), urging them to stop the LNG tanker from be- ing berthed from Marsaxlokk Bay. The Armada LNG Mediterrana, which will supply gas to the new gas-fired power station in Deli- mara, arrived in Marsaxlokk Bay on Monday, to conduct sea trials before temporarily departing for a few days to "carry out further familiarization and security tests" offshore. However, Busuttil warned that the anchoring of the tanker goes against the EU's Seveso Directive on the preven- tion of indus- trial accidents that has been transposed into Maltese law. "The directive makes it clear that authorities should stop entities from operating if their measures to prevent and mitigate against accidents are insufficient," he wrote. "It also makes it clear that information on potential risks must be provided regularly to eve- ryone who could be subjected to danger. "As such, I am requesting that you observe the Seveso Directive by ensuring that the risk assess- ments report on the tanker are published, and that the tanker is removed from Marsaxlokk Bay until it can be proven that it doesn't pose health and safety risks to people, businesses, fisher- men and industries in the area." Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has brushed off Busuttil's con- cerns about the tanker, question- ing the PN leader whether he would rather Malta stick with heavy-fuel oil as its primary en- ergy source. PN leader Simon Busuttil insisted Prime Minister Joseph Muscat should re-enter the House to speak about the power station project