Cleaner air promises evaporate

The emphasis made on cleaner air in this year's budget remained just a promise, Labour environment spokesman Leo Brincat has said.

He insisted that air quality should be a priority for the next budget.

Mr Brincat was speaking during a meeting with NatureTrust officials, headed by chairman Vince Attard.

Mr Attard mentioned the need for better law enforcement, which he called "inexistent", and called on the country to abide by European directives on air quality.

Mr Brincat also complained that, apart from a 10-year-old promise to tackle the problem of black dust in the south, no environmental or health reports about the proposed Marsaxlokk incinerator had been made public.

He mentioned the "mysterious" odours which had been smelt last September across a wide area, saying that so far no satisfactory explanation had been given as to the source of this problem.