Land and Groundwater Risk Assessment for the Malta North Waste Treatment Plant - Projects - Adi Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd

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Projects

Client: WasteServ

Start / Finish Dates: August to November 2014

Adi Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd was commissioned to carry out a land and groundwater risk assessment for the proposed Malta North Waste Treatment Plant. The plant will comprise a Mechanical Treatment Plant (MTP) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant treating Municipal Solid Waste, bulky waste and manure. The MTP will be located within an existing waste management site that includes the former landfill, Magħtab, as well as new and proposed waste management facilities in various stages of development; the AD plant will be sited on what is currently a mix of agricultural and abandoned land.

The risk assessment was requested by MEPA as part of the application for an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit for the plant. In accordance with the Industrial Emissions Directive, this assessment is a key step to establish whether baseline land and groundwater measurements would be required.

The risk assessment described the proposed plant operations in detail, identifying and evaluating potential source-pathway-receptor linkages. The assessment considered the presence of any hazardous substances and waste on site, as well as the mitigation measures proposed to prevent contamination, particularly with regard to surface water management. As a result, risk levels in respect of land and groundwater contamination from the facility were established.