Hondoq ir-Rummien's "excellent" waters sitting on a time bomb
Published on http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msfullart.asp?an=12399 by David Vella on 26th May 2007.
Despite the mitigating measures that the developers are proposing, the mega construction project targeting Gozo’s Hondoq ir-Rummien bay will still damage the “excellent” sea water quality of the area, with possibilities of extensive hazards to swimmers and to the marine life.
maltastar.com has seen two reports penned by four of Malta’s top scientists, analysing the impacts of the proposed development of a yacht marina, a hotel and over 250 residential units at the pristine Gozitan bay. The reports indicate that if the development is given the green light, Hondoq ir-Rummien’s current “excellent” water quality will be exposed to numerous sources of pollution. These include sewage and fuel outflows, chemical pollution, and the contamination of water with fine particles created by the excavation works, expected to go on for over four years.
Currently amongst “safest and cleanest”
The possibility that these threats materialise largely depends on the developers’ ability to fully implement and permantently maintain in perfect order a number of elaborate mitigating measures.
The reports were commissioned by the developers, Gozo Prestige Holidays Ltd, as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required by Mepa before deciding on issuing a permit for this project in an outside development zone. The EIS has been recently finalised, and is expected to be published for consultation in the coming weeks.
One of the report starts off by stating that studies made in 2002, “confirmed that the bathing waters at this locality must be one of the safest and cleanest for Gozo.” A February 2007 study made in connection with the report indicates “very clean waters completely free of eutrophic conditions”.
Threats to human health
Once the project is completed, the yacht marina is expected to considerably increase the number of boats sailing in and out of Hondoq ir-Rummien. These will bring about the threat of sewage and oil outflows, as well as other water contaminations. The reports mention the possibility of pollution from the sewage treatment plant that will be built onsite, and from boats that may empty their sewage tanks inside the marina or out in the bay. Such outflows raise “predominant concern for swimmers and other users who come in direct contact with contaminated water… they may also contaminate the shellfish collected for human consumption giving another area of health concern”. Another part of the report states that the disturbances created by boats coming in and out of the marina “may lead to a reduction in the fish fauna”.
Other pollution threats will be present during the construction phase. The second report states that “in spite of any mitigation measure, and even if we assume that the probability of such an incident will be low, given the good environmental quality of these inshore waters and the ecological sensitivity of the shoreline, the significance of the resultant impact may be estimated to be at least of medium importance”.
Degradation of marine life
The project at Hondoq ir-Rummien will include the excavation of a disused quarry close to the beach, to be turned into a yacht marina. One of the reports states that due to the large scale nature of the excavations required, “there is a real potential for accidental or deliberate introduction of material… into the marine environment”.
At the same time, dust particles generated by the excavations that find their way to the sea through winds or runoff rain water, will decrease light penetration into the sea. Due to this, the marine plants found in the currently clear sea beds near the site “will show a decrease in growth rate, and in extreme situations, may finally die off altogether”.
Hazardous excavations
The second report also highlights the impact of dust particles into the sea when the excavations reach the shore. “Marine life along the shoreline may be degraded”. The degradation of marine life may even extend further out into the sea.
Surveys made in the area show the presence of corals and posidonia sea grasses that are listed in national regulations as species “in need of strict protection”. In the area close to the proposed construction site, there are also stretches of sea bed that are protected by Maltese law as habitats containing rich biodiversities.
Fuel and chemicals
A number of structures are also being proposed to be built along the coast. On these, one report states “all presently occurring marine habitats and biota in the area where the marine constructions will be located will be permanently obliterated”.
The proposed yacht marina is expected to accommodate between 100 and 150 boats. The entrance to the marina will be 200 metres away from the popular sandy beach in the area. Another pollutant mentioned in the reports is the chemicals released from antifouling agents applied to boats’ exterior surfaces. This will also have a considerable impact on the water quality as well.
The possibility of oil and fuel fuel spillages from marina operations is also considered to be a very high threat, even if the developers are insisting that no fuelling services will be included in the project. Yet, this decision may be changed in the future, one of the reports claims.
Despite the mitigating measures that the developers are proposing, the mega construction project targeting Gozo’s Hondoq ir-Rummien bay will still damage the “excellent” sea water quality of the area, with possibilities of extensive hazards to swimmers and to the marine life.
maltastar.com has seen two reports penned by four of Malta’s top scientists, analysing the impacts of the proposed development of a yacht marina, a hotel and over 250 residential units at the pristine Gozitan bay. The reports indicate that if the development is given the green light, Hondoq ir-Rummien’s current “excellent” water quality will be exposed to numerous sources of pollution. These include sewage and fuel outflows, chemical pollution, and the contamination of water with fine particles created by the excavation works, expected to go on for over four years.
Currently amongst “safest and cleanest”
The possibility that these threats materialise largely depends on the developers’ ability to fully implement and permantently maintain in perfect order a number of elaborate mitigating measures.
The reports were commissioned by the developers, Gozo Prestige Holidays Ltd, as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required by Mepa before deciding on issuing a permit for this project in an outside development zone. The EIS has been recently finalised, and is expected to be published for consultation in the coming weeks.
One of the report starts off by stating that studies made in 2002, “confirmed that the bathing waters at this locality must be one of the safest and cleanest for Gozo.” A February 2007 study made in connection with the report indicates “very clean waters completely free of eutrophic conditions”.
Threats to human health
Once the project is completed, the yacht marina is expected to considerably increase the number of boats sailing in and out of Hondoq ir-Rummien. These will bring about the threat of sewage and oil outflows, as well as other water contaminations. The reports mention the possibility of pollution from the sewage treatment plant that will be built onsite, and from boats that may empty their sewage tanks inside the marina or out in the bay. Such outflows raise “predominant concern for swimmers and other users who come in direct contact with contaminated water… they may also contaminate the shellfish collected for human consumption giving another area of health concern”. Another part of the report states that the disturbances created by boats coming in and out of the marina “may lead to a reduction in the fish fauna”.
Other pollution threats will be present during the construction phase. The second report states that “in spite of any mitigation measure, and even if we assume that the probability of such an incident will be low, given the good environmental quality of these inshore waters and the ecological sensitivity of the shoreline, the significance of the resultant impact may be estimated to be at least of medium importance”.
Degradation of marine life
The project at Hondoq ir-Rummien will include the excavation of a disused quarry close to the beach, to be turned into a yacht marina. One of the reports states that due to the large scale nature of the excavations required, “there is a real potential for accidental or deliberate introduction of material… into the marine environment”.
At the same time, dust particles generated by the excavations that find their way to the sea through winds or runoff rain water, will decrease light penetration into the sea. Due to this, the marine plants found in the currently clear sea beds near the site “will show a decrease in growth rate, and in extreme situations, may finally die off altogether”.
Hazardous excavations
The second report also highlights the impact of dust particles into the sea when the excavations reach the shore. “Marine life along the shoreline may be degraded”. The degradation of marine life may even extend further out into the sea.
Surveys made in the area show the presence of corals and posidonia sea grasses that are listed in national regulations as species “in need of strict protection”. In the area close to the proposed construction site, there are also stretches of sea bed that are protected by Maltese law as habitats containing rich biodiversities.
Fuel and chemicals
A number of structures are also being proposed to be built along the coast. On these, one report states “all presently occurring marine habitats and biota in the area where the marine constructions will be located will be permanently obliterated”.
The proposed yacht marina is expected to accommodate between 100 and 150 boats. The entrance to the marina will be 200 metres away from the popular sandy beach in the area. Another pollutant mentioned in the reports is the chemicals released from antifouling agents applied to boats’ exterior surfaces. This will also have a considerable impact on the water quality as well.
The possibility of oil and fuel fuel spillages from marina operations is also considered to be a very high threat, even if the developers are insisting that no fuelling services will be included in the project. Yet, this decision may be changed in the future, one of the reports claims.
posted by Hondoq at
9:17 AM
