SKART MIS-SETTUR TAL-BINI: RIABILITAZZJONI TA' BARRIERI MHUX UZATI

SKART MIS-SETTUR TAL-BINI: RIABILITAZZJONI TA' BARRIERI MHUX UŻATI

Il-Pjan għall-Immani''jar ta' l-Iskart Solidu li kien pubblikat mill-Gvern fi Frar li għadda, u li issa għadda mill-fażi ta' konsultazzjoni, wera l-problema li teżisti fil-pajjiż għar-rigward ta' l-immani''jar ta' skart solidu. Kif kien indikat fil-Pjan, l-akbar problema li qed niffaċċjaw hi l-ammont kbir ta' skart mis-settur tal-bini li qed jintrema fil-miżbla tal-Magħtab.

Is-sena l-oħra, madwar 956,372 tunnellata ta' skart mis-settur tal-bini ntefgħu fil-miżbla tal-Magħtab. Dan jammonta 80 fil-mija ta' l-iskart kollu li ntefa' f'din il-miżbla. L-iskart mis-settur tal-bini qed jiżdied minħabba li r-restrizzjonijiet ta' l-art li jeżistu fi gżira żgħira bħal Malta qed jinkora''ixxu lis-sidien tal-proprjet'� biex jinżlu aktar fil-fond fis-siti fejn se jkunu se jiżviluppaw il-proprjet'� tagħhom.

Dan it-tip ta' skart jista' jkun riċiklat jew jista' jintuża fir-riabilitazzjoni ta' barrieri mhux użati. Ftit tas-snin ilu kienet 'iet introdotta skema, permezz ta' l-Avviż Legali Nru 128 ta' l-1997, biex l-iskart mis-settur tal-bini ikun użat fir-riabilitazzjoni ta' barrieri mhux użati. Din l-iskema ma tatx ir-riżultati mistennija, minħabba f'garanziji kbar li s-sidien tal-barrieri kellhom jieħdu biex ikun aċċertat li l-ilma tax-xorb li jinsab fil-blat ma jkunx kontaminat.

Għaldaqstant, il-Gvern qed issa jer'a' jirrakkomanda skemi 'odda li fihom il-Gvern jieħu r-responsabbilit'� kollha għar-rimi ta' skart mis-settur tal-bini f'barrieri li s-sidien tagħhom ikunu jridu jirriabilitawhom.

Minbarra Skema 1 li kienet saret permezz ta' l-Avviż Legali Nru 128 ta' l-1997, se jkunu introdotti żew' skemi 'odda: Skema 2 u Skema 3. Id-dettalji tat-tliet skemi huma dawn:

Skema 1 :

Jibqgħu japplikaw taħt din l-iskema l-istess arran'amenti li jissemmew fl-Avviż Legali Nru 128 ta' l-1997. Għalhekk sidien tal-barrieri li jkunu jixtiequ jimmani''jaw u jamministraw il-proċess kollu tar-riabilitazzjoni tal-proprjet'� tagħhom huma obbligati li josservaw ir-regolamenti msemmija f'dan l-Avviż Legali.

Skema 2 :

Xiri mill-Gvern ta' barrieri mhux użati bi ftehim mas-sidien tal-barrieri. Il-barriera riabilitata tkun ikkunsidrata bħala proprjet'� pubblika u l-Gvern ikollu dritt jużaha jew jiddisponi minnha kif jeħtie' wara li ssir ir-riabilitazzjoni.

Skema 3 :

Akkwist b'kera għal żmien fiss ta' mhux aktar minn ħames snin, skond qbil mas-sid tal-barriera. Il-Gvern jassumi r-responsabbilt'� kollha biex jirriabilita l-barriera skond pjan li jkun miftiehem bejn il-Gvern u s-sid tal-barriera. Meta l-barriera tkun riabilitata, il-proprjet'� tingħata lura lis-sid tal-barriera mingħajr aktar irbit.

Fl-iskemi il-'odda l-Gvern se jassumi r-responsabbilt'� kollha għar-riabilitazzjoni tal-proprjet'� u allura se jieħu l-inkarigu li jaċċerta li l-proprjet'� tkun riabilitata kif għandu jkun u li ma ssir ebda ħsara lill-ilma tax-xorb. Dan ifisser li l-Gvern se jkun il-garanti lejn il-Korporazzjoni għas-Servizzi ta' l-Ilma.

Il-Gvern qed jistieden lis-sidien tal-barrieri li huma interessati li jirriabilitaw il-barrieri tagħhom m'hux użati biex jirre'istraw dan l-interess mat-Taqsima tax-Xogħlijiet, Project House, Floriana CMR 02, mhux aktar tard mill-15 Settembru 2000. Avviżi dwar dawn l-iskemi qed jidhru fil-gazzetti kollha lokali.

The Solid Waste Management Plan for Malta that has been published by the Government last February, and which is now past its consultation phase, has highlighted the problems involved with the management of solid waste in Malta. As indicated in the Plan, the large amount of construction and demolition waste deposited in public landfills is one of the problems that raises concern.

In 1999, about 956,372 tonnes of construction and demolition waste were deposited at the Magħtab landfill and this constituted about 80 per cent of the total waste deposited at this landfill. Construction and demolition waste is increasing in quantities, as the land-use restrictions inherent to the islands will continue to induce property developers to utilise their land to the full and thus opt to excavate deeper in order to compensate for this. This waste stream can be recycled or utilised in the rehabilitation of unused quarries.

A scheme to utilise construction and demolition waste in the rehabilitation of unused quarries was introduced in the past as Legal Notice 128 of 1997. This scheme did not give the expected results due to the onerous, although necessary, financial guarantees which the quarry owners had to take in order to ensure that the ground water aquifer was not contaminated.

It is now being recommended that Government will assume the direct responsibility for the disposal of construction and demolition waste in those quarries, whose owners choose to avail themselves of the opportunity of rehabilitating their unused and dormant property. Two additional new schemes are being proposed: Scheme 2 and Scheme 3, thus retaining Scheme 1 for those arrangements currently regulated under Legal Notice 128 of 1997:

Scheme 1:

The same arrangements as applicable in Legal Notice 128 of 1997 will continue to apply under this scheme. Thus private quarry owners who wish to manage and administer the whole process for the rehabilitation of their property will be obliged to abide by the provisions of such Legal Notice.

Scheme 2:

Through the direct purchase by Government, in agreement with the property owners, of unused and vacant quarry sites. This will be subject to the condition that the rehabilitated quarry will be considered to be public property and Government would be at liberty to make use of, or dispose of the land, as appropriate, following the completion of the intended rehabilitation exercise.

Scheme 3:

Through a lease back agreement, for a fixed time period of not more than five years, to be agreed between the quarry owner and Government. This agreement will be conditional to Government assuming full and sole responsibility for rehabilitating the quarry according to a plan to be agreed between the property owner and Government and that, when fully rehabilitated the property will revert back to the original owner without any further attachments.

In both of the above new schemes it is envisaged that Government will bear the full responsibility for the rehabilitation of the property and thus will bear the full burden of ensuring that the rehabilitation is properly carried out and that no damage is done to the water aquifer. This effectively implies that Government will be acting as an insurer to the Water Services Corporation.

The Government is now inviting quarry owners interested in rehabilitating their unused or vacant quarries to register such an interest with the Works Division, Project House, Floriana CMR 02, by not later than 15 September 2000. Advertisements on these schemes are appearing on all the local newspapers.