A green pledge by the Bishop
Published on The Times of Malta on Sunday 16th September, 2007 by Alan Deidun.
Hondoq ir-Rummien concerns
The Hondoq ir-Rummien EIA proposals, for which the public submitted comments by the end of last June, is overtly biased in favour of the development:
• Document downplays reclamation of 1,500 metres of coastline;
• "The usual suite of invertebrates, mainly insects and molluscs.... no attempt was made to identify these since, in the main, they consisted of ubiquitous species" - one should note that some insect and mollusc species are listed in the Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands in view of their restricted distribution, etc., and some are also consequently protected by virtue of local and/or regional legislation. Also, no exhaustive faunal surveys were conducted on site, with surveyors limiting themselves to "records of Western whipsnake and unidentified geckos". A prima facie, this ecological appraisal is slipshod and incomplete;
• No description of the impact of the generation of particulate matter on marine filter-feeding organisms is included;
• The following statement found in the same section of the report is especially opinionated: "These two fears (i.e. the deposition of particulates in water column would disrupt the feeding processes of shoreline invertebrates and may damage sessile ones and would mechanically increase turbidity and interfere with aesthetics, feeding, locomotion and gas exchange in organisms and with beach sediment budget) are unfounded, since, with the measures taken, particulate matter will not enter the water column."
• The same section also speaks about redistribution of particulate materials in water columns such that it exerts only an insignificant impact on biodiversity. Have any ad hoc studies on settling rates of part matter in the water column been carried out?
• "Excellent buffering capacity of seawater will counteract lowered pH of effluent" - have any studies been carried out to substantiate this statement? "Nitrophilous species expected to grow in marina base but not to affect outer area." Although run-off from the marina base will be treated in settling tanks, these can't remove substances in suspension and doubts exist as to the consequences in the eventuality that such tanks are not functioning properly;
This is part of the piece on Hondoq ir-Rummien. To view the whole article, go to http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=274555&hilite=hondoq
Hondoq ir-Rummien concerns
The Hondoq ir-Rummien EIA proposals, for which the public submitted comments by the end of last June, is overtly biased in favour of the development:
• Document downplays reclamation of 1,500 metres of coastline;
• "The usual suite of invertebrates, mainly insects and molluscs.... no attempt was made to identify these since, in the main, they consisted of ubiquitous species" - one should note that some insect and mollusc species are listed in the Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands in view of their restricted distribution, etc., and some are also consequently protected by virtue of local and/or regional legislation. Also, no exhaustive faunal surveys were conducted on site, with surveyors limiting themselves to "records of Western whipsnake and unidentified geckos". A prima facie, this ecological appraisal is slipshod and incomplete;
• No description of the impact of the generation of particulate matter on marine filter-feeding organisms is included;
• The following statement found in the same section of the report is especially opinionated: "These two fears (i.e. the deposition of particulates in water column would disrupt the feeding processes of shoreline invertebrates and may damage sessile ones and would mechanically increase turbidity and interfere with aesthetics, feeding, locomotion and gas exchange in organisms and with beach sediment budget) are unfounded, since, with the measures taken, particulate matter will not enter the water column."
• The same section also speaks about redistribution of particulate materials in water columns such that it exerts only an insignificant impact on biodiversity. Have any ad hoc studies on settling rates of part matter in the water column been carried out?
• "Excellent buffering capacity of seawater will counteract lowered pH of effluent" - have any studies been carried out to substantiate this statement? "Nitrophilous species expected to grow in marina base but not to affect outer area." Although run-off from the marina base will be treated in settling tanks, these can't remove substances in suspension and doubts exist as to the consequences in the eventuality that such tanks are not functioning properly;
This is part of the piece on Hondoq ir-Rummien. To view the whole article, go to http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=274555&hilite=hondoq
posted by Hondoq at
9:21 PM
