And so it begins…

There’s been a bit of a hoo-ha today. The MEPA board member who represents environmental organisations was the only one to vote against the plans to build a waste recycling plant, today.

It seems he prefers to have more, bigger and wider landfills than have a waste treatment facility.

The board member in question is Alex Vella, the owner of a building supplies company and a bit of a developer himself (he uses Robert Musumeci as an architect). So how did he end up as the environment NGOs’ representative on the MEPA board?

Well, each environment NGO nominates its preferred representative. Then the government picks one from among them. Alex Vella was (is?) the president of the Ramblers Association, and was that organisation’s nominee. He was heavily involved in campaigns, marches and demos against the Renzo Piano project and other similar actions led by Astrid Vella under the previous government.

This government picked him.

One trusts that the environment NGOs he is there to represent on the board will now tell us whether he voted against the waste recycling plant in consultation with them and with their consent and approval, or whether he took a unilateral stance.

And we also need Alex Vella to explain why, as a supposed environmentalist, he has voted against waste recycling and, by default, in favour of more landfill.