QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX II (Back to Contents)

Pages 109 - 114: questions sent to all groups (no.1-16)

Pages 116 - 117: supplementary questions sent to NGOs;

Pages 118 - 119: supplementary questions sent to Local Councils;

Pages 120 - 121: supplementary questions sent to authors;

QUESTIONNAIRE

The questionnaire is solely about Environmental Planning Statements, EPSs, and Environmental Impact Statements, EISs, concerning extensions of existing quarries and permission for new quarries ONLY and so it would be appreciated if the answers given will focus only on such issues.

Scoping and Terms of Reference

The Planning Authority issues Terms of Reference which are used as guidance for the production of Environmental Impact Statements, EIS and for Environmental Planning Statements, EPS for the quarry industry. The decision taken whether an EIS or EPS is required is taken by PA staff using the Environmental Impact Assessment in Malta Policy and Design guidance booklet.

1. Have you ever read the Terms of Reference, TOR used in the quarry industry?

Yes ……… No ………….. (please tick as appropriate)

2. The Planning Authority, PA, has issued a standard Terms of reference, TOR, for the production of EISs or EPSs. Do you agree with such an approach ?

Yes ….….. No…….…..

2.1. Give reasons for your answer.

……………………………………………………………………………..

3. Do you think that the TOR for the quarry industry are:

sufficient to produce good quality report Yes ……… No …………..

too detailed to produce a good quality report Yes ……… No …………..

impossible to be met by any developer Yes ……… No …………..

do not provide sufficient guidance to produce a good quality report Yes ……… No …………..

I cannot answer this question because I have never read the TOR mentioned above Yes ……… No …………..

4. Would you agree if each individual application for a quarry project would be subject to a separate scoping exercise leading to a separate TOR for each application ? Yes ……… No …………..

Do you agree that the TOR should be issued after a public hearing (public scoping meeting) where various interested organizations and local residents could express their views about the development ? Yes ……… No …………..

6. Do you think that when scoping a project in such a manner (as stated in number 5), the TOR will :-

become more complicated Yes ……… No …………..

highlight areas of concern Yes ……… No …………..

be biased (give reasons for your answer) Yes ……… No …………..

……………………………………………………………………………

not have any effect on report (EIS/EPS) Yes ……… No …………..

be indicative to the proposers whether to withdraw application or not Yes ……… No …………..

create more unnecessary delays in the process Yes ……… No …………..

EIS and EPS

Which areas in an EIS and EPS should be given attention:

EPS EIS

visual impacts Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

ecological impacts Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

social impacts Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

economic impacts Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

land use Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

health impacts Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

others (please name) Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

…………………………………………………………………………………

8. Do you think that an EIS and EPS should be :-

compiled & coordinated by one author with various contributions from various experts EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

made up of a number of collated reports by different experts

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

written by one person using his available knowledge & techniques

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

9. Do you think that an EIS and EPS should have a limited number of pages ? Give

reasons for your answer

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………

10. Do you think that both EPSs and EISs should focus more on quantitative analysis

rather than qualitative aspects of the impacts generated by the developments ?

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

11. Alternative technologies (of extraction and production) are mentioned as a

requirement in the latest TOR issued by the PA for the quarry industry. Do you

think that such an issue could actually be tackled in an EPS or EIS ?

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

11.1. In case of a positive reply, please state what type/s of alternative technologies could be considered in an EIS and EPS for a quarry, giving reasons for your answer.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

12. Alternative sites for the development of a new quarry are rarely, if ever,

considered in an EIS or EPS for a quarry. Do you think that this issue could be

considered in the quarry industry ?

Give reasons for your answer.

EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………

13. As a member of a decision making body, how would you grade the EISs and

EPSs in the quarry industry which you have read. (Tick where appropriate).

EIS EPS

Mediocre ……… …………

Very poor quality ..……… …………

Good quality ………… ………..

Relatively Good quality ………… ………..

Very good quality ………… …………

Give reasons for your answer. ………… ………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

14³ . Do you think that the content presented in the reports is:

EPS EIS

too technical for you Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……
too simple for you Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……
easy to understand Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……
beyond your knowledge in some areas Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

too long to be considered fully Yes …… No …… Yes …… No ……

15. Do you think that there is sufficient knowledge locally to produce good quality EISs and EPSs ? EIS Yes ……… No …………..

EPS Yes ……… No …………..

16. State which of the following ways would you suggest to improve the standard of

the EIA process.

Monitoring impacts of past applications Yes ……… No …………..

Increasing the number of partners in the scoping stage of the process

Yes ……… No …………..

doing away with the reports Yes ……… No …………..

making a brief oral presentation prior to a decision

Yes ……… No …………..

incorporating other technologies (e.g. multimedia)

Yes ……… No …………..

introducing post development audit Yes ……… No …………..

others (state) Yes ……… No …………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

17. What should be the role of the Planning Authority to ameliorate the EIA process ?

………(also sent to authors)……………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

18. Please write down any other comments you would like to make re the quarry

industry.

………(Also sent to authors and NGOs)……………………………………..

….……………………………………………………………………………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

….……………………………………………………………………………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

….……………………………………………………………………………..

Thank you for filling in this questionnaire and helping me with my studies.

Joe A Doublet

&&&&&&&&&&&

Name:………………………………………………………………

Contact phone number……………………………………………….

Could you please state the name of the Board or Committee of the Planning Authority were you have served: …………………………………………………………………

Are you still a member of this board / Committee ? Yes ……. No ………..

For how long have you formed part of this Board / Committee………………………

Could you please write down your full time occupation ?………………………

Have you got any relative working in the quarry industry ? Yes ……. No ……..

Have you ever been to any quarry in Malta and Gozo ? Yes …..… No….…..

In case of a positive reply please state if it was a hard stone or soft stone quarry.

(A slightly modified version was also included with the questionnaires of the other groups) ******

CONSULTATION

If a consulting firm or the PA approaches your organization re a quarry

application, have you got the required scientific information which would be

required to study the impacts generated by a new quarry on the surrounding

environment ? Yes ……… No …………..

17.1 Would you be:

ready to disclose such information freely ? Yes ……… No …………..

ready to disclose such information at a pre-agreed fee ?

Yes ……… No …………..

unable to disclose any information at all ? Yes ……… No …………..

List down any positive and negative impacts, if any, you think the quarry industry generates in Malta.

Positive Impacts….…(also sent to Local Councils and authors) …………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Negative Impacts………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

19. Do you think that the quarry industry should:

continue to expand as a number of small quarries ?

Yes ……… No …………..

expand into a few very large quarries ? Yes ……… No …………..

stop working all together ? Yes ……… No …………..

start importing aggregate & stone from elsewhere ?

Yes ……… No …………..

start recycling stone ? Yes ……… No …………..

use a different technology ? (state what type) Yes ……… No …………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

…..……………………………………………………………………………..

start restoring quarries ? (state how ?) Yes ……… No …………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

….……………………………………………………………………………..

pay for damages you think it has done ? ( state how and to whom ?)

Yes ……… No …………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

….……………………………………………………………………………..

do something else ? (State what and how ?) Yes ……… No …………..

………………………..………………………………………………………..

…..……………………………………………………………………………..

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LOCAL VIEWS

17. State the:

number of quarries which have been exhausted in your area ……………….
Number of quarries which have been converted to other uses in your area:

use………………………..number…………………..

number of quarries which have a PA/PAPB permit…………………
Number of quarries without a PA/PAPB permit……………………

18. State the approximate number of residents in your area who are owners of a

quarry and the number of residents who work in quarries found in your locality.

Resident owners ……………

Resident workers ………….

19. Did you ever get any complaints from residents about the quarry works ?

yes …..no……

19.1. Were the complaints about :

noise arising from machinery within quarry yes …..no……

trucks passing through village core yes …..no……

emissions of dust yes …..no……

excessive use of explosives yes …..no……

excessive power in explosives used yes …..no……

damages to residential structures yes …..no……

damages to passing vehicles yes …..no……

damages to fields yes …..no……

damages to village roads/streets yes …..no……

illegal activity yes …..no……

others (state)………………………………………………………………

20. State any other views of the Council might have about the quarry industry in your

locality. (Please list even divergent views)

……………………………………………………………………………………….

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AUTHORS

17. How long have you been involved in coordinating or compiling EPSs or EISs ?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

18. What is the average time taken to compile an EPS and an EIS (starting from when

the developer contacts you till the presentation of the final report) ?

EPS ……………….

EIS ………………

19. List the areas, stating reasons, where you feel a lot of time is wasted in compiling

an EPS and an EIS ?

EPS……………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

EIS..……………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

20. Write down your suggestions how one could avoid such wastage of time.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

21. List down the difficulties, if any, encountered with each of the following when

compiling an EIS and EPS. In each case suggest how one could overcome such

difficulties:-

with developer

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

with PA

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

with experts commissioned

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

with others (state with whom)

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

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