Marsa 'worse' than Delimara

Data published yesterday by the European Union show that air pollution from the power station in Marsa is much worse than that from Delimara.

The data, released yesterday through the European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER), show that there are only four industrial installations in Malta which are deemed as medium to high pollutants. Apart from the power stations, the polluters are two farms, San Blas Farm, in Zebbug, and St Joseph Farm, in Naxxar, which declared discharges of ammonia or NH3 of 18.4 and 31.6 tonnes respectively for 2004. The farms rear poultry and swine.

However, the biggest pollutants by far remain the two Enemalta power stations, although this is normal anywhere in the world where the generation of electricity is concerned. According to the data given for 2004, the Marsa plant pollutes more than Delimara.

The carbon dioxide pumped into the air from the power plant's chimneys makes up by far the highest proportion of hazardous gas. In 2004, Marsa produced 1,140,000 tonnes while Delimara released 822,000 tonnes.

Nitrogen and sulphur oxides were also higher from Marsa with 2,950 tonnes of nitrogen and 10,700 tonnes of sulphur released against 2,360 tonnes of nitrogen and 6,310 of sulphur from the Delimara power station. This is the first time the EU's internet-based public register of industrial emissions to air and water included data from the new member states.

www.eper.ec.europa.eu