Source of soot needs to be identified quickly - PL

R Abela

Oct 19th 2009, 23:04

I see that the government is beating around the bush. The data on air monitoring is available online on www.mepa.org,mt and anyone has access to it.

A simple glance to today's data gathered by the monitoring station located at Zejtun reveals that the highest level of particles were gathered at 9:00am reaching an extraordinary volume of 59.66 ug/m3 at that time the wind direction was 321.9 degrees (i.e North-westerly). Incidentally the same peak was twinned by another peak, this time the volume of SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide) which reached a peak 22.67 ug/m3.

SO2 is a gas emitted from power stations and at the time of these peaks the wind was blowing from Marsa onto Zejtun.

I am sure that there are good scientists at MEPA who are aware of this but I think somebody might be keeping their mouth shut to the detriment of our health!

MARIO AXISA

Oct 19th 2009, 20:02

What a shame, all these professional people around, earning a good government salary & still the source of pollution is unknown....The source is simply: Mount Etna in Sicily..he..he.Maltese mentality needs to grow up & develop.

P. Schembri

Oct 19th 2009, 19:01

Even about something important about this, you have to involve politics in? This affects us all Maltese!

J.Tonna

Oct 19th 2009, 18:55

@ Mr Navarro - I am not touchy at all. I know what it means to have all that soot as, many years ago, I used to live in Senglea, when the Dockyard tankers used to throw their soot in the air for us to swallow. My point is that if the government failed to identify the source of this soot - either through incompetence or anything else - it is no use to moan. We should help find ways to try to identify it ourselves. A report said that the samples were contaminated. Does that mean that whoever gave them these samples added something extra with the soot? That does not help the authorities to identify the source. We should be realistic, it is in our own interest after all. P.S. I still live in the South of Malta and suffer from this inconvenience as well.

A Camilleri

Oct 19th 2009, 18:40

Would like to know the PL's position on the Sta. Antnin Recycling Plant, the power station in M'Xlokk & the Freeport in B'Bugia. Will they be relocated if the PL wins the next elections?

R.Gauci

Oct 19th 2009, 18:30

I can't understand how in 2009 when you have so much advanced technology which is being used so much good to resolve any kind of crimes(DNA TESTING ETC), in Malta we can't establish from where a huge amount of soot is coming??!! Are the authorities really trying to establish from where is coming or we need to send samples to Brussels so that the EU tell us where from and that most envoirmental laws are being ignored in Malta and no one in power really gives a hick!! The fact that 35% of Maltese children are suffering from ashma or another respiratory condition should be enough to raise concerns !!! Do someone cares that sick children and sick citizens make a sick country or we have to get some other expert reports paid thousands of euros as usual to tell us that!!! Thanks God that at the moment I am living in Ireland and not breathing from that polluted air but unfortunetly my family is and I care for them!!

John Carmel Navarro

Oct 19th 2009, 18:18

Mr Tonna there is no need to get so touchy the facts are that this soot is in the air, it covers our roofs and dirties our washing what it is doing whilst we inhale it no one knows. It is not unreasonable to expect action as it effects people from both side of the fence. I honestly cannot see the point of expecting both the Government and the Opposition taking samples to make you happy. I suppose in the ideal world you would have MEPA and shadow MEPA!

J.Tonna

Oct 19th 2009, 17:59

@ Paul Barrett - Yes I agree with you, but also it should be taken by the PL and its apologists, instead of implying that the Government is doing nothing about it. Moaning leads us nowhere.

Paul Barrett

Oct 19th 2009, 17:54

Perhaps this is something that could be taken on by one of the Times of Malta Journalists - a bit of investigative reporting - get hold of a sample and send it away for analysis, then splash the results across the front page.

John Carmel Navarro

Oct 19th 2009, 17:13

Soot black dust this unfortunately has been going on since I can to remembe. I find it difficult to accept that the Government is doing everything to find out the reason for it. MEPA well what exactly are they doing, wonder if they will endorse it by giving the dust a permit to stay in the South of Malta. Just a clue, there is a rather large chimney at Marsa maybe someone could keep watch! In all seriousness it is not a joke there are health issues which cannot be swept under the carpet so to speak.

J G Gatt

Oct 19th 2009, 16:17

This is something serious which is affecting our health. What about raising this issue to the EU since it is now taking too long ?

Mario Azzopardi

Oct 19th 2009, 16:16

What's the hurry?!!!!! And yet people continue to suffer. Cancer will not wait for MEPA to find what is causing this soot. Don't blame them! Malta being such a huge place. What a laugh.....if this was not such a tragic situation.