ERA Board also requests improvements on St Julian’s waterpolo facilities

 

The ERA Board approved the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) on the second Malta-Italy electricity interconnector project and requested further improvements on a separate project to redevelop the site of the St Julian’s waterpolo facilities, to reduce its environmental impacts.

The two decisions were taken during the Board’s public meeting on Friday morning.

The ERA board approved the Final Assessment on the EIA carried out to determine the environmental impacts of the planning development application submitted to the Planning Authority (PA 04448/22 – EA 00018/21) for the Construction of the second cable link inter-connector project. This proposal includes trenching, laying, cable jointing and installation works between the Enemalta Magħtab Terminal Station and the near shore approach, the construction of underground joint bays, a trench-less transition from onshore to offshore and the laying and protection of the submarine cable up to the median line between Magħtab, Naxxar Malta and Ragusa, Sicily.

The ERA Board noted that this project is of national importance and does not pose a significant impact on the environment if the works are carried out according to the submitted plans and conditions. The EIA also took note of all the necessary mitigation measures that will need to be applied to reduce any adverse environmental impacts, which, in any case, are expected to have an overall insignificant impact on the area.

During the same sitting, the ERA Board also reviewed the Final Assessment on the EIA that the Authority requested in relation to the Planning Authority development application (PA 03927/19 – EA 00009/20) for the proposed alterations and construction of a water polo and swimming pool, deck area, changing rooms, toilets, showers, committee meeting room and ancillary facilities in the site of the existing St Julian’s waterpolo facilities.

After assessing the proposal and considering the consultants’ evaluation, the ERA Board determined that for the Authority’s review to proceed further, the applicants need to reduce the visual impact of the project further, and to decrease the encroachment on the seabed areas supporting the Posidonia meadows.

Further details on the two EIAs reviewed on Friday is available on ERA’s website: https://era.org.mt/era-project/ea_00018_21/ and https://era.org.mt/era-project/pa03927-19/

28 August 2023