Abuse was flagged for years before massive fire at Marsa scrapyard
A Marsa scrapyard where “the largest industrial fire in years” broke out earlier this month had received warnings about a long list of environmental infringements believed to be the likely cause of the blaze. A series of ‘stop and compliance’ orders were issued against the JAC Steel scrapyard by the environmental watchdog over the past five years. They include late cleaning of oil spills and incorrect storage of heaps of flammable materials that at times even stretched beyond the confines of the site. The scrapyard sits on the outskirts of the Addolorata Cemetery. A huge plume of black smoke blanketed the harbour area when the fire broke out in the early hours of September 16. It took 29 firefighters with 11 firetrucks and other large pieces of equipment around 18 hours to completely extinguish the flames. More than two million litres of water were used. Sources told Times of Malta that an official at the Environment and Resources Authority had even informally flagged the site as a public hazard to the government during the Muscat administration in 2017. A scene from the fierce and toxic fire captured by the Civil Protection Department. “This place has been operating in...