The Ghallis landfill – one of two engineered landfills at the Maghtab complex – will have its lifespan extended by 9 to 12 months through a vertical expansion project that has just been approved by the environment watchdog.
On Friday, the Environment and Resources Authority said that it had approved the variation and renewal of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit for Ghallis. The variation is related to the vertical extension of currently permitted landfill void space and the shredding of mattresses prior to landfilling.
According to the Project Description Statement, the project will increase the site volume of the engineered landfill without increasing the site area.
“The limited void space available at the Ghallis non-hazardous landfill is the most significant waste management issue at the national level. This facility is the only disposal option – barring export at a prohibitive cost – for non-hazardous waste streams where diversion to recovery or recycling is not an option,” according to the document.
In 2017, it was estimated that the remaining approved landfill void space was 1 million cubic metres, and the remaining space was expected to be filled rapidly “given current waste deposition rates (an average of 21,500 tonnes per month during 2016).”
Since alternative disposal technologies such as waste to energy were still under development, WasteServ had recommended that the lifetime of the Ghallis landfill should be extended as far as possible.
“This project involves the use of compacted waste, using lining materials and engineered reinforcement, to create a free-standing, retaining wall. This wall would have a steeper profile than that currently implemented, and extend along the Ghallis landfill. The retaining wall would not involve any interventions in the old Maghtab landfill, and would provide the Ghallis landfill with a capping layer as required by the Landfill Directive, according to the project description.
While the overall height of the landfill will increase, it will not exceed the permitted limits.
The extension could increase the lifespan of the landfill by up to a year.
The application submitted for Ta’ Żwejra non-hazardous landfill by WasteServ Ltd covers the renewal of the IPPC permit.
The Ta’ Zwejra site, Malta’s first engineered landfill, is still operational. It is located at the southern end of the Maghtab complex.
The complex is an area as large as Valletta, spread over an area of 0.6km2. Besides the two engineered landfills, it also houses a number of waste management facilities, including a civic amenity site, the rehabilitated Maghtab old dump, a gas plant and Biological Treatment Plant.
Controversy erupted last week after WasteServ announced plans to expropriate agricultural land in the vicinity to expand the complex. Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said that the farmers will be compensated according to law but explained that WasteServ needs more space to extend the engineered landfill and additional plants for Malta to reach its recycling targets.
These plants are necessary for Malta to reach its recycling targets, he said. These will include the Waste to Energy Facility, the Hazardous Waste Thermal Treatment Facility, Skip Loading Facility, Composting Facility, and an Organic Processing Plant.
He added that WasteServ will also be giving back a significant amount of land as the Wied Fulija and Qortin landfills will be designed as recreational zones, while the Marsascala plant, ravaged by fire a few years back, will be closed and the area turned into a park.
During Friday’s board meeting, the ERA also approved an application for a Nature Permit which is authorising the interventions on trees at Mistra Road, in St Paul’s Bay.
The interventions include the felling of four trees, 1 of which is dead, whilst the other 3 trees are posing a danger to heavy vehicles. The authorisation is also including the light pruning of 26 trees and hard pruning of another 15 trees. The ERA has requested the applicant to compensate for the felled trees by planting 31 trees, which shall be planted at the Pinetum in Floriana.