Mepa closes down mushroom farm

A mushroom farm located in the area known as Tas-Salib, limits of Rabat has ceased its operation after Mepa’s enforcement directorate clamped down on the owners of the farm who refused to abide by the environment operational conditions which had been imposed in the planning permit. With the assistance of the Civil Protection Department, the enforcement directorate removed nearly 500 tanks of hazardous material found to be stored on site. Although the mushroom farm has been in operation since 1976, and was in possession of all necessary planning permits, it was failing to adhere to a number of operational conditions, Mepa said. These conditions had been imposed in one of the later planning permits covering the enlargement of the farm so as to safeguard and minimise the odour nuisance and other impacts on residents living in the vicinity and on the surrounding environment. While several meetings were held between the authority and the farm’s operator for them to regularise their position and improve the farm’s operational activities these proved to be ineffective. In view of the latter, the authority eventually ordered the farm to cease all operations and close down in early...