6/12/2007 - The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) chairman yesterday directly challenged Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar spokesman Astrid Vella, saying that he will resign if Ms Vella substantiates certain statements she made in the local media following Mepa’s approval of the full development application in respect of Ulysses Lodge in Xaghra, Gozo....(Read Full Article)

6/12/2007 - In an unprecedented move, Mepa has turned its guns on the major Maltese green NGO ‘Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar’ (FAA), and in a scathing verbal attack, declared a boycott against this organisation.

Numerous organisations have harshly criticised the decision to turn the slopes leading to the pristine Ramla l-Hamra Bay into a 23-villa complex. In retaliation, on Monday, Andrew Calleja, the Mepa chairman, defended the decision taken by the board he chairs, and declared that Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (Maltese for ‘Together for a better Environment’) is “under boycott with requests for meetings until such time it decides to substantiate or withdraw the serious accusations levied at the MEPA Board members”....(Read Full Article)

6/8/2007 - The European Commission is currently investigating a number of cases where the government absolved developers from their obligation to perform Environment Impact Assessments. One of the cases being investigated by the Commission is the Ulysses Lodge development in Ramla Bay, Gozo.

The Maltese government waived the EIA required for this development through a notice published in the government gazette on 17 June 2005....(Read Full Article)

6/4/2007 - A proposal by the GRTU’s property developers’ section calling on Mepa to introduce a fee for placing objections to development applications, is meant to give developers more power, while taking away citizens’ right to object. In a statement, Graffitti Movement noted that the proposal by the General Retailers’ and Traders’ Union undermines the concept of proper consultation on environmental issues....(Read Full Article)

5/30/2007 - Noise levels permitted by the recently launched draft building regulations are too high, the environmental NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) believes. In a report launched yesterday, the FAA voiced its concern that at 110 decibels, the permitted noise levels are more than 20 decibels over recommendations of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, which sets the maximum at 87 decibels....(Read Full Article)