13 June 2008 Rating 2% No Comment  

Illegal tipping around the island is expected to reduce further when the Civic Amenity Site opens for the public in Gozo. The WasteServ Civic Amenity Site project is in fact at a very advanced stage, with the final and fifth Civic Amenity Site to be situated in Gozo also being constructed to be finalised by October. This will be a first for this island, where the Gozitan public will have the opportunity to be served by a professional service for discarding bulky waste for separation or recycling in a lawful manner. The other four in Malta are situated at Maghtab, Mriehel, Hal Far and a fourth one which is still being constructed at Luqa. The Minister for Resources and Rural Affair, George Pullicino, and the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, today visited works in progress at Tal-Kus site, limits of Xewkija, Gozo. They were accompanied by Ing. Vince Magri, WasteServ Malta Ltd. Chief Executive Officer. Addressing the press during the visit, Minister Pullicino said that "the Government secured funding assistance from the EU to invest in such facilities, which are required to enable the collection and pre-treatment of separated waste. Thus, it is a pleasure for me to ensure that the Gozo residents are going to have the same opportunity as their Maltese counterparts, especially after confirming the success of such facilities in Malta, where we have 3 such facilities already operating effectively." Minister Pullicino also mentioned the advantages of having this particular Civic Amenity Site, as illegal tipping around the island, such as in the countryside including at Tal-Kus, is expected to reduce further when the CA Site opens for the public. With this facility, the public will have the opportunity to dispose of their domestic bulky waste in a lawful manner and avoid polluting our beautiful country-side. He concluded by stating that "this facility will also help reduce the volume of waste that is sent to the Engineered Landfill at Ghallis." EU Structural funds were made available for this project, known as ERDF 22, which have an estimated value of 4.6 Million Euros. The government provided its share of the co-funding at 27% amounting to 1.242 Million Euros, the land required for the project and other related works to provide access and services. This project, apart from the 5 Civic Amenity Sites, includes the introduction of 300 Bring-in Sites and a strong communications and education campaign to encourage waste separation. The Gozo Civic Amenity Site will be unique for the island of Gozo. The purpose of this facility is to be operated as a separate waste collection point mainly for the waste streams generated by the householder but it may also accept small quantities of specific waste from other entities. This will help reduce the amount of waste going to the temporary Transfer Station at Qortin as all source-segregated waste, including white goods, old furniture, tyres, DIY construction waste and many other types, will start being accepted in this facility. Apart from this, one of the requirements of the permit for the Gozo CA Site is to enhance the current poor access to the site. Thus, Works include a number of services to be passed through a culvert, road widening and build-up and road resurfacing plus construction of rubble walls along the stretch. Street lighting shall also be included, together with supply of electricity required for the CA Site. Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said that the Gozo Civic Amenity Site is another project which links with others that strongly reflect the fact that Government has been and will still be addressing Gozo's regional needs. This also confirms that the island of Gozo is at the centre of the national strategy especially now that Government's vision for Gozo is that of Gozo as an eco-island. Although this idea is relatively new, we can say that certain projects are already compliant with necessary measures which need to be taken to achieve this ambitious aim. The Minister for Gozo also said that the Civic Amenity Site links with the closure of the Qortin landfill which will now be converted into a family park. These are measures already being taken which can easily be considered as preparatory measures in the process which will eventually lead towards attaining the eco-Gozo vision. Minister Debono said that the Ministry for Gozo continuously collaborates with other Ministries and other entities, in order to facilitate procedures in projects such as that of the Civic Amenity Site. Some of the issues also require the collaboration of the local councils involved such as in the case of waste separation. The Minister commended the residents of San Lawrenz for having been registered as the second best village who had the highest per capita return of waste separation in Malta and Gozo. All other Gozitan Local Councils and their residents are urged to follow the example of this small but endeavouring village who is also dedicating this day as 'A day for the world'. Speaking during the site visit at Tal-Kus, Ing. Magri commented that WasteServ Malta Ltd, since starting operating, has embarked on a number of projects which are firsts for Gozo. Closing Qortin is the greatest achievement to date, and the ongoing rehabilitation is proof that the company is committed to implementing the waste management strategy and to provide a proper public service which is sustainable. "We have Qortin which is being rehabilitated, where WasteServ, after shifting thousands of tonnes of material to create stability, is now installing wells to capture gases for treatment. We have conducted a series of tests and we now have the big picture of the gas activity in the landfill today. We have introduced 23 Bring-In Sites, and we have the facility to accept source-segregated waste from Bring-In Sites and the Recycle Tuesday's initiative. We have also invested in a mobile shredder for Gozo, to have a more efficient service by reducing number of trips and therefore decrease costs and environment harm. We have also standardised the image of trucks in Gozo - this is all proof of how WasteServ is doing its utmost to provide a sustainable and efficient service." More information about WasteServ Malta Ltd. can be found on www.wasteservmalta.com or by calling the FREEPHONE 8007 2200.