Freeport will not carry out oil rig repairs

The Freeport’s saga regarding the repairs of oil rigs in Marsaxlokk Bay has come to an end.

The Malta Freeport has decided not to continue with the controversial environmental permit it was given in April to carry out maintenance work on oil rigs. Mepa informed its Appeals Tribunal of the applicant’s decision in a letter dated June 9.

When the Mepa board approved the permit, the government had said it would appeal Mepa’s decision granting the Freeport a year- long permit to repair oil rigs.

In April, the planning authority issued a one-year environmental permit to allow operations at Malta Freeport to include the repair and maintenance of oil rigs. Three members - the political party representatives and environmentalist Alex Vella - voted against.

The government immediately announced it would be appealing the decision by MEPA to allow maintenance of oil rigs. “The government’s position is reflected in the vote by the Prime Minister’s representative on the MEPA board, lawyer Joseph Sammut,” the gov- ernment said in a statement. “Similar permits were issued in the past for a short period of time in order for works to be carried out on very specific projects. The government does not agree with this system being changed and the Freeport being granted an open permit for such works,” the government said.

In an earlier statement, PN MEP Roberta Metsola applauded the stand taken by the Birżebbuġa local council which objected to plans to turn the Malta Freeport into another shipyard.

“It is absolutely clear that once again residents are totally against this move which would simply create another dockyard in an area close to where a massive LNG floating facility will be berthed in Marsaxlokk. It is heartening to see that unlike what happened in Marsaxlokk, this council has put residents’ interests above partisan gains, is objecting to this idea and has signalled its concern with this coming so soon after the Government’s insistence on the LNG tanker,” said Dr Metsola, who led the petition to the European Parliament on the safety concerns posed by the tanker in Marsaxlokk.

“Despite the objections, MEPA has once again bowed to pressure and approved a project that runs contrary to the residents’ wishes and once again ran roughshod over all opposition,” said Dr Metsola.