FAA welcomes car park decisions, slams power station emissions

joanne pace obo

Dec 2nd 2009, 10:51

Thank God for NGOs like FAA , without them Malta risks becoming an ugly, polluted construction site. REGARDING car parks most of them are proposed not with the residents in mind but suiting some underlying business trying to begin operating in the area. When are people going to take taxis or walk.! Any way a big thank you FAA for your precious support in stopping the Balluta Car Park project from materialising.

George Debono

Dec 2nd 2009, 01:10

@tony abela

Tony - I have followed your comment with interest and absolutely agree with everything you say.

It seems that Government approach to our serious pollution is a mixture of
1) hiding heads in sand
2) Being economical with the truth and
3) Baffling with bullshit

Malta is way behind with submission of data to the EU and every time I try to make head or tail of the air monitoring data on the web site my eyes glaze over. So when you say that you made a chain of questions to the Authorities through this Blog pages and never had an answer - do you think I am surprised?

G

George Debono

Dec 2nd 2009, 01:01

@James Worley

@"""""""""""""Where it for FAA, all construction workers would be on the dole. That's good business, eh?""""""""

So according to you, James, we should cover Malta in apartment blocks just to keep construction workers happy? - we already have over 50,000 empty residences.

FAA is not always negative we also express our approval of positive developments but, sadly, these are few and far between.

G

George Debono

Dec 2nd 2009, 01:00

@Paul Barrett

@"""""""""""""The "not in my backyard" syndrome regarding the car parks has done more for traffic pollution and road congestion than it has for prevention"""""""""

EH? Cars will fill up any space given to then. As more space is provided, so increased car use and pollution will follow.

Car parks are not built because they are needed but because they make money.

Sliema is anyway too traffic congested and polluted --- building more car parks will only attract more traffic.

Besides, there is no serious parking problem in the Balluta area apart from weekends. The adjacent hotel underground park has ample spare space.

Parkin problems also arise out of bad planning. Paceville was allowed to become a monstrous entertainment area which causes a massive polluting migration to St Julains at weekends; this brings enormous parking problems in its wake.

Finally people are too lazy to walk a short distance or ( dare I say it?) - cycle.

G

Joe Morana

Dec 1st 2009, 22:22

Readers may wish to note that an ADT Traffic Report drawn up in 200,7 states that Rudolph Street is circa 22% overloaded. This state of affairs was confirmed by another Traffic report commissioned by a developer in the area. Both these reports included traffic management mitigating measures. The ADT Traffic Report was rejected by the Sliema Local Council back in 2007, while thr traffic management report one drawn in 2008, among oterh things is still waiting the long overdue deliberations of the Sliema Local Council and of ADT.
In the meantime Sliema -Savoy area residents are 10 months out of 12 subjected to air pollution levels which exceed EU safeguards ( MEPA: Air monitoring diffusion tubes data 2007-2009 )which are adveresely effecting their HEALTH and quality of Life.
I reiterate that the Authorities are perversely abdicating their responsibilities and doing a disservice to these Sliema residents. SHAME

Astrid Vella

Dec 1st 2009, 22:05

Good one Stephen B C, but I'm glad you made it clear that its tongue in cheek.

Many have been lynched for less :-)

Stephen Borg Cardona

Dec 1st 2009, 21:24

Does FAA realize that airborne particulates are an important weapon in the fight against global warming ? Possibly that is why Enemalta switched off the filters !
p.s Tongue strictly in cheek

Edward Camilleri

Dec 1st 2009, 20:02

Instead of being alarmed on the hazards to our health because the "Marsa power station pumped unfiltered emissions into the air for seven months" many below attack FAA on a car park! Parking is important but no additional parking in this small island is going to solve anything.

Our priority should be our health, and not how convenient it is to park near the venue you want to visit.

anthony pace gouder

Dec 1st 2009, 19:52

@ Neil Mercieca

To save 15 minutes , I recommend you to go straight to Balluta . right next to the square ( follow < P> TRAFFIC SIGNS ) where a huge, and most convenient , easy to enter and exit undergrond parking awaits you . This has been open for at least 5 years ! Wonder how you never noticed . it 's under the hotel .

Edward Camilleri

Dec 1st 2009, 19:51

@James Worley
Negative comments by the FAA because they are defending the common interest? Who is fighting to ensure that every green area or open space is not built up? If I were you I would thank the few NGOs that are fighting incessantly to protect us against this severe syndrome of overbuilding and relying heavily on our private cars. Its as if we cannot walk anymore. It is true that many European cities are turning their centres into pedestrian areas, and not car parks!

It cannot be that we continue relying over private transport as we are. There are alternative means of transport - public tranport, walking, cycling, car sharing, etc. Just see latest surveys and you will realise that we are at the top of the worse ones, e.g. obesity and lack of exercise. Do we need more proof that as regards health we are heading downhill?

tony abela

Dec 1st 2009, 19:03

@Astrid Vella

My comments are meant to question the data available on line from Kordin Station and be assured that I have a good esteem of FAA and you. I just don't accept blank statements as that referred by you from Mr Seychell.

I must point out that Mr Seychell statement to me is questionable as I cannot see the PM 10 and PM 2.5 pollutants values from Kordin, I can only see N02, S02, O and CO. If they are monitoring them, why they are hiding them from the general public.

I made a chain of questions to the Authorities through this Blog pages and never had an answer, such as I like to have an explanation what a negative (-ve) value for SO2 and NO2 exactly means, as both Kordin and Gharb are showing these negative values from time to time. Also why there are frequent breaks in data, such as Zejtun PM10 has been missing since 24th November 2009.

Astrid Vella

Dec 1st 2009, 18:32

@ Paul Barret & Neil Mercieca, you are overlooking the fact that there are already TWO large car parks just 50 metres from this site, which are almost empty most of the time. The problem is more the fact that few enjoy paying for parking, and the new car park would have been privately-run therefore against payment.

@ James Worley: you seem to have a problem with FAA. In this PR where we are endorsing the decisions taken by the Authorities, I fail to understand how that is negative. Re building industry woes we have long been suggesting in our PRs that Government should launch a programme to retrain construction workers for restoration which is labour-intensive.

Would you prefer to see all of us urban residents make a hasty exit via the cancer wards? Now that's what I call sadism!

Neil Mercieca

Dec 1st 2009, 18:04

I dont know about you people but when i go to sliema/st julian i always spend a minimum of 15 minutes driving around to find parking..... so if there would be a car park which is underground and not an eyesore it would take me much less to park and hence my car would release less exhaust in the area

Paul Barrett

Dec 1st 2009, 18:02

The "not in my backyard" syndrome regarding the car parks has done more for traffic pollution and road congestion than it has for prevention.
The cry that an efficient (affordable) public transport system will solve the traffic and parking problems is just beyond belief. They would require heavy subsidisation to exist at all outside a main stream route and apart from running from one centre to another, never go near the departure or destination that an individual wants to use at a time that an individual needs to travel.

MBorg

Dec 1st 2009, 18:01

@ Jos Morana
"Sliema residents (Savoy area, Mrabat Street and Rudolph Street ) health and quality of life are not the priority for the authorities."

It is a fact that "heavy motor vehicle traffic " passes through this area. People who want to go to the centre of Sliema have to make use of these roads. There is no way out of it. God forbid if all the traffic is directed towards the Strand and the Sliema front. You just cant eliminate Savoy and Mrabat Street . How will you go to San Gwann if not through Mrabat.

Astrid Vella

Dec 1st 2009, 17:05

@ Tony Abela. Our source is the article written by Martin Sechell, MEPA Director of Environment in yesterday's Times: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091130/opinion/from-hypotheses-to-real-solutions

"It must also be pointed out that monitoring data from Mepa's nearest monitoring station at Corradino clearly indicates that the ambient values for various pollutants, including PM10 (fine dust), in the area are well within the limit values set by the EU Air Quality Directive. However, one must keep in mind that this directive sets levels for very fine dust (less than 10 micrometres) as this is the fraction of most concern to human health."

J Brownie

Dec 1st 2009, 17:01

On the emissions – illnesses link it should be highlighted that such emissions (whether power-stations or traffic induced) have also be recently linked to increased incidence of breast cancers. For the layman like me this was quite a departure from the usual and classical association of emissions with a long list of serious respiratory conditions such as Lung Cancers, Asthma, Emphysema etc etc . Human suffering apart the Authorities should appreciate that even if they narrowly see clean technologies in terms of pounds, shillings and cents ( or Euros )the economic benefits of investment in such technology will greatly outweigh any medical expenses and loss of human resources

If anyone is in doubt please have a look at this article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7114473.stm

James Worley

Dec 1st 2009, 16:55

This FAA is always negative - negative comments, it prides itself when some project falls through. This to me is nothing but sadism. Where it for FAA, all co0nstruction workers would be on the dole. That's good business, eh?

Simon Abela

Dec 1st 2009, 16:52

About nine years ago. I wrote a report that was presented to the Fondaazjjoni Guze Ellul Mercer 2000. I mentioned the problems related with the Marsa Station. Nox, and Sox emissions and the reduction of PM 10 & PM 25. No one cared to listen to me from the Maltese Authorities. There were other problems that were not solved in time, including deaths and tragedies that could have been prevented.
I am not surprised to read about this problem at all. The Maltese government takes first to higher EU consultants and pay them big $$$. Although I did not like the Mintoff policy back in the 80's at least he gave the Maltese worker the chance to succeed.
What else is new in Malta!!!

Joe Morana

Dec 1st 2009, 16:36

Apparently, Sliema residents' (Savoy area, Mrabat Street and Rudolph Street ) heath and quality of life are not a priority for the Authorties (MEPA, ADT, Sliema Local Council and Central Government).
Residents in this area of Sliema are daily subjected to heavy and continuous motor vehicle traffic causing air pollution levels which exceed EU safeguard levels, while the authorities have for the past years been pereveresly dragging their feet to implement traffic management measures (despite that proposals have long been submitted) which would also help to mitigate the long over due traffic and air pollution problems in this area.

tony abela

Dec 1st 2009, 16:33

I find very strange the statement by FAA as quoted below "even if the monitoring station at Corradino indicated that particulate levels were not raised above the limit of permissible values", as Kordin Air Monitoring Station does not gives on-line the data relating to Dust Particles PM 2.5 and PM 10. Therefore I find this statement as non-factual unless FAA has access to additional data which is not available to the general public. What is sure is that both Zejtun and Msida Stations have recorded on various occasions Dust PM 10 well above the safe limits on a number of occasions, at least more 14 times during the period when the Marsa Power Station filters were switched off (see my blog of yesterday).

During the last three years there were at least four times when the limit not only exceeded the 200ug/m3 which is considered as high, but was more than 1000ug/m3, and on one instance was also above 3000ug/m3.