More Protests at Pig Farm Permit

MALTA - The granting of a permit to a large-scale pig farm, to be built between Magħtab and Salina, next to residences clearly highlighted the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's lack of regulations to protect residents' health, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar said.
calendar icon 14 April 2008
clock icon 2 minute read

It called for more awareness of EU regulations with regard to human health and said it would like to see the necessary public health studies carried out in line with EU obligations before decisions impacting people's health were taken.

A report in the Times of Malta, the NGO notes that the application of veterinary regulations, which stipulate a distance of 100 metres between pig farms, had pushed the farm to within 20 metres of the residences.

"It is unacceptable for MEPA authorities to justify such a permit by saying that 'regulations have been followed'. If local regulations are inadequate, damaging cases should be deferred until the necessary protective regulations are introduced," the NGO pointed out.

It added that in this case MEPA had been very selective in the regulations applied, and chosen to overlook its latest Agriculture, Farm Diversification and Stables Policy and Design Guidelines.

The FAA said the new pig farm was a blatant case of highly questionable land planning, as the proposed building was being permitted to take up fertile, virgin land in a designated 'Intensive Arable Agricultural Area', affecting the productivity of neighbouring fields without even an Environment Impact Assessment.

View the Times of Malta story by clicking here.

Further Reading

- Go to our previous news item on this story by clicking here.

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.