Alternattiva Demokratika would work to ensure that the Maghtab dump was capped and rehabilitated.

It was commenting in the light of a study entitled: 'Risk of congenital abnormalities near potentially hazardous sites in Malta', written by Thelma Cuschieri as part fulfilment of an MSc in Public Health.

Ms Cuschieri's study showed that the incidence of babies with birth defects born to mothers living within three kilometres of the Maghtab landfill has risen, when compared to those residing further away. The risk was 1.74 times higher for mothers residing within two kilometres of the Maghtab landfill site.

AD's spokesman Silvan Agius outlined in a statement the party's plan to reduce air pollution in Naxxar and Bahar ic-Caghaq.

"In the local council AD will work for the definitive closure of the Maghtab rubbish dump which is planned for 2004. This is a positive consequence of European Union membership."

AD would work to ensure that the site chosen for the engineered landfill would not have a negative impact on residents and was also proposing that the Maghtab landfill site was capped and gradually rehabilitated, he said.

Mr Agius also referred to pollution resulting from emissions from cars, saying that according to an official report Naxxar was one of the seven most polluted localities.