Emergency instructions for residents remain unchanged despite switchover to gas

Residents of Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga this week received a card with instructions they should follow in case of an emergency at the LNG power station across the water but is no cause for alarm.

The instruction card, in fact, is identical to the ones sent to residents in 2010, well before any plans to convert the Delimara power station to run on gas.

It is understood that the instructions card was sent again now for two reasons – because of the recent fuss kicked up by politicians over the safety issues related to the project and that people who moved to Birzebbuga and Marsaxlokk after 2010 would have a copy.

Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga residents told this newspaper they were surprised that the instructions have remained unchanged, despite the switchover to gas, with the different realities that that has brought about. But a top CPD official explained that the emergency instructions were standard for all COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) sites in and around the area. These include the 31st March 1979 petroleum tanks, the San Lucjan Oil facility, the Gasco Energy plant and the Wied Dalam installation.

In case of emergency in any one of these facilities residents are instructed to seek shelter in the nearest safe building. This will not only protect them from dangers such as high temperatures but also keep the roads clear for emergency workers. The next step is to close all doors and windows and to turn off all ventilation. People are advised to stay away from windows, due to the danger of flying glass in the event of secondary explosions. Members of the public should avoid any unnecessary use of telephones and mobile phones, thus keeping the lines clear for the most serious emergencies, and to turn off any fire and not smoke. In the case of such a major emergency residents are advised to tune in to PBS radio and television for news and instructions and to wait for the all-clear signal.

Deputy Director of the Civil Protection Department Emanuel Psaila confirmed that the instructions remained unchanged even after the switchover to gas because these are standard procedures that should be followed in the case of various emergencies.

Residents of the Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga are issued with safety instructions related to the other COMAH facilities. Mr Psaila explained that each facility would sound off a siren in case of an emergency but people in the street would not know which facility is affected. “That is why there is a standard set of instructions that cover all scenarios.”

He explained that the instructions are logical. “We cannot tell people to assemble at, say, the church square because the winds might be blowing in that direction. That is why we advise people to seek shelter in the safe structure that is closet and wait until the all-clear is given.”

The pamphlet sent to Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga households was produced by Electrogas, Enemalta and D3 Power Generation Ltd, the Chinese company that now owns the BWSC plant.

It says that all operators have internal and combined Emergency Response Plans in place to deal with unexpected events. “The emergencies considered in our safety studies and safety report include, but are not limited to, spills and fires in the facilities. With all the safety measures and procedures we have in place and using good industry practice, we are confident that these risks are very unlikely. However, if an emergency does occur, we want to be able to warn people about it and make sure they know what they should do to remain safe.”

The operators say that the chance of a major accident happening is unlikely but recent events have highlighted that, no matter how remote the chances, the possibility of an accident still exists.

The different scenarios were laid out in the risk assessment reports that were published for a public consultation exercise some weeks ago. These include a shipto-ship collision (which would most likely not result in a tank rupture), lightning and earthquake events, terrorism, equipment failure and a plane crash.

A couple of weeks ago this newspaper broke the news that Transport Malta is establishing a no-fly zone area with a radius of 1.5 km around the tanker. The aim, according to emails seen by this newspaper is to reduce the risk of an airborne threat.

Earlier this week people witnessed a huge black smoke cloud rising above the tanker. Electrogas, the owner of the new power station, said the blaze was “small,” that the fire had broken out in an area of the plant “that is not operational” and that it was put out within minutes.