Freeport noise levels in Birzebbuga exceeded WHO recommendations, survey finds

Noise levels around Birzebbuga while Malta Freeport operations were underway were generally high all year round, a survey commissioned by the freeport itself has found.
The survey was held between February 2014 and January last year. It was conducted by Adi Associates Environmental Consultants. The survey measured noise levels at five monitoring locations.
The report was tabled in parliament by Competitiveness Minister Manuel Mallia following a question by Labour MP Anthony Agious Decelis.
"The survey identified that noise levels with the Malta Freeport Terminal (MFT) in operation were generally high at all of the monitoring locations over the 12 months of the survey, both during the day and at night, relative to the WHO guideline values for day time and night time noise," the survey found.
Although the high noise levels were not always attributable to activity at the freeport, freeport noise was audible to the assessors during most of the survey and, even when masked by noise arising from other sources, the noise arising from the freeport was likely to have influenced the noise levels recorded.
The average day time noise levels recorded over the 12 months at all five monitoring...

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