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It-tanker tal-gass: l-ERA għandha tivvota kontra (1)





Matul il-ġimgħat li għaddew, kont part minn team taħt it-tmexxija tal-President tal-Eżekuttiv tal-Partit Nazzjonalista, Ann Fenech, li flimkien ma’ numru ta’ esperti dorna l-istudji u r-rapporti kollha li ġew ippubblikati rigward il-ħażna tal-LNG f’tanker f’nofs il-bajja ta’ Marsaxlokk. Ħmistax-il elf paġna ta’ dokumentazzjoni li l-pubbliku ingħata biss tletin ġurnata żmien biex ikun jista’ jifliehom u jagħmel il-kummenti u r-rappreżentazzjonijiet tiegħu. Kien biss wara talba tal-Kap tal-Partit Nazzjonalista Simon Busuttil li l-ERA estendiet dan iż-żmien b’miżerja ta’ għaxart ijiem oħra.

Minkejja ż-żmien limitat li kellna, irnexxielna bejnietna induru din id-dokumentazzjoni kollha, u noħorġu b’rapport tekniku li ġie ppreżentat lill-ERA, l-Awtorità tal-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi li ser tkun qed tiddeċiedi fuq din l-applikazzjoni. F’dan ir-rapport, tajna r-raġunijiet tekniċi tagħna għalfejn wara li analizzajna d-dokumentazzjoni kollha ppreżentata, jidhrilna li l-Awtorità għandha tirrifjuta din l-applikazzjoni minħabba tħassib serju fuq is-sigurta’ tat-tanker li ser ikun qed jaħżen dan il-gass. Ħa nipprova nispjega uħud mir-raġunijiet li ltqajna magħhom fi kliem sempliċi.

Nibda mir-rapport tas-sigurtà (Safety Report), li kien ir-rapport li l-aktar li dħalt fid-dettal fih jiena. Interessanti l-fatt li waħda mill-ewwel sentenza fl-introduzzjoni tar-rapport, tispjega kif dan ir-rapport qed isir biex il-proġett ikun konformi mad-direttiva Seveso III. Ir-rapport jgħid li “f’każ ta’ proġett ġdid, ir-rapport għandu jkun sottomess żmien raġonevoli qabel il-bidu tal-kostruzzjoni jew l-operat. Rigward il-proġett tal-ElectroGas, ir-rapport mistenni jkun sottomess madwar sitt xhur qabel il-bidu tal-operat.” Mela l-ewwel sentenza tar-rapport, li kien sottomess biss dan ix-xahar meta t-tanker mistenni jibda jopera fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin, mill-ewwel qed tammetti li ż-żmien li ingħata biex wieħed jara r-rapporti kien ħafna inqas mis-sitt xhur li kienu mistennija biex il-proġett u l-proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni jkunu konformi mad-Direttiva Seveso III!

Ovvjament, l-ewwel ħaġa li mbagħad bdejt infittex f’dawn ir-rapporti, kienu d-dettalji tar-riskji u l-miżuri tas-sigurtà li ittieħdu fil-każi tal-maltemp, li huma l-aktar każi fejn it-tanker jista’ jkun ta’ periklu. Imma ħaġa tal-iskantament, ma tantx domt ma sibt it-tweġiba li qatgħatli l-għatx bil-perżuta. Ir-rapport jgħid mill-ewwel li “kundizzjonijiet estremi tat-temp, bħal mewġ u irjieħat qawwija, sajjetti, saħħa tal-blat, u attività sesmika (terremoti), ma ġewx ikkunsidrati fir-risk assessment għax huma indirizzati il-proċess normali tad-disinn tal-proġett.” Dan ifisser li tant ħassewhom konvinti li d-disinn tal-vapur ħa konsiderazzjoni tal-miżuri kollha neċessarji biex jissalvagwardja kwalunkwe’ periklu mill-maltemp, mewġ qawwi u l-kundizzjonijiet l-oħra kollha, li lanqas kien hemm bżonn jagħmlu analiżi tar-riskji li jista’ jkun hemm marbuta ma’ dawn il-kundizzjonijiet. U dan ipoġġi allura piż kbir ħafna fuq id-disinn tal-vapur u l-proċess li minnu għadda dan id-disinn.

Imma nistgħu noqogħdu fuq il-proċess ta’ disinn b’mod daqshekk għami? Jien naħseb li le, għal fatt li nafu diġa’ li l-proċess ta’ disinn kien ivvizzjat. L-ewwel nett, mir-rapport marittimu jidher ċar li fil-proċess ta’ disinn ma tteħidx kejl tal-qawwi u d-direzzjoni tal-mewġ fil-port ta’ Marsaxlokk, kif sar fil-proġetti kollha ta’ kull estensjoni tal-Freeport, imma qagħdu biss fuq statistika li inġabret minn website. Ir-rapport marittimu infatti jagħmilha ċara li dan il-kejl MHUWIEX TA’ MIN WIEĦED JOQĦOD FUQU minħabba li mhuwiex kejl li sar fuq il-post.

Agħar minn hekk nafu li l-vapur ma sarulux quick-release hooks għal meta jkun marbut mal-istorm moorings, il-post fejn ħa jkun marbut f’nofs il-bajja wara li jinqala’ minn mal-powerstation meta jqum il-maltemp. Dawn il-quick-release hooks huma ganċijiet apposta biex vapur jekk ikun hemm bżonn ikun jista’ jinqala’ malajr minn fejn ikun marbut biex jinħareġ il-barra mill-bajja. Fil-parti tar-rapport li tiddeskrivi l-installazzjonijiet ta’ sigurtà fuq il-vapur bħala parti mill-Proċess tad-Disinn tas-Sigurtà, jissemmew b’mod speċifiku dawn il-quick-release hooks, b’deskrizzjoni dettaljata ta’ kif inhuma. Huwa xokkanti li minkejja li dawn huma parti integrali mid-Disinn ta’ Sigurtà, nafu li dawn MA SARUX. Fl-istess ħin ma sarx risk assessment tal-każi ta’ maltemp għax jassumu li d-disinn tas-sigurtà ħa ħsieb għal dawn il-kundizzjonijiet. DAN HU SKANDALUŻ.

Dan ifisser li jekk skont ir-rapport tat-temp ikun previst li l-vapur għandu jinqala’ mill-powerstation u jmur fuq l-istorm moorings, imma l-maltemp imbagħad jitqawwa iżżejjed u lanqas l-istorm moorings ma jkunu jifilħu għalih u l-vapur ikollu bżonn jinqala’ minn hemm biex jinħareġ barra l-bajja, dan ma jkunx jista’ jsir. Dan ifisser li s-sigurtà kollha tal-bajja ħa tkun qed isserraħ fuq ir-rapporti tat-temp.


F’dan l-ispazju ma nistax nidħol f’aktar dettal f’aktar nuqqasijiet li sibna fir-rapporti l-oħra. Forsi jkolli ċans nagħmel dan fl-artiklu li jmiss. Pero’ dawn ir-raġunijiet waħedhom huma biżżejjed biex juru li s-sigurtà tal-bajja ta’ Marsaxlokk u r-residenti tagħha ħa jkunu taħt theddida, hemm ħafna fatturi li ma ġewx maħsuba, u li allura l-ERA għandha tivvota kontra l-permess biex dan it-tanker jibda jopera.

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