MEP Roberta Metsola leads petition to European Union to remove risk to residents around Marsaxlokk bay
MEP Roberta Metsola’s (PN/EPP) office has released the following:
Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola has submitted a petition to the European Parliament urging the European Commission to investigate the risk to the public’s safety by the Government’s plans to berth a floating liquefied gas storage unit close to shore.
“Over the past weeks and days I have met with many concerned citizens of the towns and villages that are most affected by this proposed project and they cannot understand why these unnecessary risks are being taken in this manner.
In contrast, other EU Member States with similar projects, such as those off the Italian ports of Livorno and Ancona, have ensured that safety is paramount and that the legitimate concerns of residents were addressed by stationing the depot a safe distance away from them, with proper security zones around the vessel. None of the above safety provisions are envisaged in the Maltese Government’s proposed intentions” said MEP Metsola.
Dr Metsola quoted the EU’s SEVESO II Directive which lays down that Member States shall prohibit the use of any establishment, installation or storage facility, where the measures taken by the operator for the prevention and mitigation of major accidents are seriously deficient saying that petitioners were understandably concerned that the project will violate the Directive.
Marsaxlokk bay already houses a concentration of power generation and fuel storage facilities as well as very busy in-bay shipping movements of the Malta Freeport. Only a preliminary Quantitative Risk Assessment has so far been carried out and no Maritime Risk Assessment has been carried out.
“The risks associated with the implementation of the project of conversion of power facilities to gas would be greatly mitigated if the gas storage for this plant be moved to a secure location and a safe distance from residential areas, outside the bay. As the only Maltese Member of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee I had a duty and a responsibility to act” added Dr Metsola.
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A traitor to the Motherland. Now go back in your office, turn off the lights and remain silent.
Remember, we live in a utopia; its name is Malta.
Yes, although I do not know her, she appears to be a very sharp young lady, who is unafraid to stand up to the onslaught to which she will soon be subjected.
So now we have two tough ladies.
I wonder if the PL voters from the areas concerned object to the LNG storage tanks and show their disapproval to their respective representatives in the national and European parliaments.
They’d vote for a dog turd if you put a PL sticker on it.
They did
LNG has taken a new meaning:
Labour’s No Good.
Attakk fahxi fuq ir-reputazzjoni ta’ Malta, as bird-brains Charlon Gouder and Joseph Cuschieri would say.
Everyone can sign it here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Petition-on-Marsaxlokk-Gas-Storage-Unit
The petition may be signed here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Petition-on-Marsaxlokk-Gas-Storage-Unit
I cannot understand how we are talking about dangers to the inhabitants and the Freeport but are ignoring the very real danger that an accident in that bay will wipe out all our power generation and make us dependent on the interconnector to Sicily, which can only deliver a third of the power we need.
The economy and much of life in Malta will grind to a standstill.
Not to worry. The staff at Henley & Partners will just have to work overtime.
It’s ok, no need to worry. Minister Mizzi has a house in London.
I have calculated that, in the event of a catastrophic failure with the containment, a rough estimate of the potential immediate blast radius would be approximately 3km.
That would effectively shut down most of the Maltese infrastructure when in comes to energy and industry. The infrastructure would be rewound back to what it was in post-war Malta.
Remember that the area contains a number of other dangerous facilities which will increase the force of the explosion beyond that that presented by the simple failure of the containment facility.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Petition-on-Marsaxlokk-Gas-Storage-Unit
Thank goodness we have the EU to turn to and protect our interests against the crazy/bad decisions our incompetent PL govt is taking.
I think the European Commission was too lenient with Muscat on the Passport Sales and I don’t think it will come down hard on him on this gas-storage-tragedy-in-waiting-to-happen.
Besides, if the people in Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga are really worried about all this, then they should forget that they voted in their majority for Labour in March last year, and take to the streets.
Metsola qed ixxewex.
Indhil barrani.
Bring back is-salvatur (traditur) ta’ Malta, dak il-qammiel nejjieki.
Excellent move by Roberta Metsola.
Let’s hope that the EU will understand the political benefit it can reap if it helps protect the safety of the residents of the South of Malta. In one move, it can change the perceptions of many people who live there in favour of the EU.
Let’s hope the EU will not accept another “good faith” trick by Joseph Muscat.
If that gas storage ship does go off, it will:-
1) devastate anything south of Valletta including the airport;
2) give contractors plenty of land to build on;
3) probably wipe out that 36,000 majority quicker than you can say ‘Jack Robinson’.
4) Create big opportunities for land reclamation from the resulting construction debris.
6) Give us more bang for the buck than the passport sales.
5) Will even out the landslide victory
As the French say ‘Chapeau’, Roberta.
5) Reduce the number of social security scroungers by 80%
The people living in the Marsaxlokk area would be better off if they took up snake handling Christianity, as it would be far safer than living near a potential fire ball liquified gas storage unit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95B3WnKwnt8
7) we’ll all be in sh**
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Petition-on-Marsaxlokk-Gas-Storage-Unit
Not that any form of compensation will be enough in case of an incident, but will anyone even insure these storage vessels?
Will the Freeport be able to get the insurance it needs to continue to operate?
God forbid that such an accident could happen. But should it happen it would serve the residents of Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga right for not speaking out against it.
[Daphne – That’s a truly despicable attitude. Aside from the fact that nobody deserves to die or have their home devastated in a massive gas explosion, any such explosion will also ruin YOUR life because whatever wipes out the infrastructure wipes out the economy and normal life as we know it. We will be reduced to normal life as our grandparents’ generation knew it.]
What was the name of that jerk with an address in Marsaxlokk who said that a new power plant is in ‘our children’s interest’, while his wife had to sue him for child maintenance?
He’s been awfully quiet lately.
“Petition on the Maltese Government’s plans to berth a floating liquefied gas storage unit close to shore and the risks it poses”
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Petition-on-Marsaxlokk-Gas-Storage-Unit
As of now (9.00am Saturday 22nd February 2014) number of petition signatories stands at 1092.
What does it take to get people to sign – a Big Bang?