Malta warned over lack of air quality plan
The European Commission yesterday warned it would take legal action if Malta continued to drag its feet in drawing up an air quality plan and complying with the EU's strict directives.
However, the EU Executive does not appear keen to be drawn into the controversy over the presence of black dust in the south of the island and avoided replying to a call by Labour MEP Louis Grech to investigate the matter.
In a parliamentary question, Labour's head of delegation in Brussels called on the Commission to investigate the black dust issue.
In reply, the new Environment Commissioner, Janez Potocnik, noted that the quality of air in Malta's inner harbour region, including Valletta, was not in line with the emission values set by the EU. The air in non-urbanised areas seemed to be much better and in line, he added.
However, Brussels was still waiting for Malta to provide it with more up-to-date information, particularly for 2008, and also for the island to implement an air quality plan. The Commission warned it would start infringement procedures if no progress was made in the coming weeks.
"In view of the fact that the annual air quality report (2008) should have been submitted by September 30, 2009 the Maltese authorities have been contacted and reminded of their obligation to provide this data without further delay. If necessary, the Commission will take appropriate enforcement action to ensure that this data is submitted," Mr Potocnik said.
The Commission had already started infringement procedures against the island over excessive levels of particles in the air, known as PM10.
According to Mr Potocnik, the Maltese authorities had indicated that a notification under article 22 of the new Air Quality Directive would be submitted by end October 2009 together with the adopted air quality plan.
But the Commission had not received any notification from Malta to date, he pointed out.
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Edward Mallia
Feb 26th 2010, 17:53
@Keith Abela & Ray Buhagiar. The problem lies in the fact that epidemiological studies are not a physics experiment, where cause and effect can usually be identified clearly. It took Richard Doll some 25 yearsof hard labour to persuade people of the strong connection between smoking and lung cancer incidence. We- and I am including myself in this- are too prone to make connections very quickly. Most forms of cancer, for instance, take a number of years to develop even under quite poor conditions; yet we call up strong cancer incidence at the drop of a hat. Or quickly describe Fgura as the asthma centre of the solar system. That is not to say that asthma incidence there is a figment of the imagination. But perhaps what we must look at first is the incidenceof asthma in the population, and then the frequency of attacks among people with this condition. I believe it is this second quantity that is probably ties to air quality.
On trying to make sense or logic of the spoutings or politicians, I fear it is a waste of time.
Edward Mallia
Feb 26th 2010, 14:32
Pity the EU has not taken up the 'black dust' matter. MEPA and government are still messing around in that matter: either there is deliberate blocking of the public interest or the most obvious incompetence on MEPA's part. Minister Gatt also put his spoke in recently: the electrostatic precipitators, he said, do not catch the power station fly ash. What are they supposed to catch, ministerial hot air or cow pats?
Some three days ago while walking in Kordin Industrial Estate in late morning I noticed a light mist at road level. Rounding a corner and going on to a terrace I was confronted with the two tallest power station chimneys emittng a thick grey smoke which under the influence of a brisk north westerly was actually coming down to street level at Kordin and more so at Fgura-on-the-Hill. Pity Minister Gatt was not around to savour the sulphurous aroma.
R.Borg
Feb 26th 2010, 14:25
@ Alex Tanti
Where does the name of Simon Busuttil come in as the report of Ivan Camilleri states that this matter was brought up with the European Commission by Louis Grech?!
Ray Buhagiar
Feb 26th 2010, 13:12
@Keith Abela reported
'Dr Debono qal li l-fatti juru li Malta ghandha problema serja hafna bit-tniggis tal-arja, u zied jghid li l-Fgura ghandha l-oghla rata ta’ tfal morda bl-azma fid-dinja kollha. Fatti ohra juru kif pajjizna ghandu rata gholja ta’ kansers li nistghu nassocjawhom mal-livelli gholjin tat-tniggis.' This was on IDEAT website. I saw the full report. Detailed as it was there was not a single reference to any source of information.
How come Fgura has the highest rate of children suffering from asthma? Do we have the same rate with adults living in Fgura? Adults in Fgura would have been exposed to asthma triggers longer than their children. If in Fgura there is a high rate of asthma sufferers does that mean that air quality in Fgura is the lowest? Is there a correlation between bad air quality and rate of asthma sufferers? So what is the air quality levels per village and compared to other European Cities/towns.
Please be more specific.
J brownie
Feb 26th 2010, 12:42
@Keith Abela
Very simple answers to your question : with very few exceptions all local politicians of any colour don't give a hoot about air quality in Malta because it's cheaper to have their citizens prescribed on a lifetime of inhalers or for some days on chemo in case they contract the deadly terrible C than to take real initiatives to curb pollution.
Any measures taken so far were purely cosmetic aimed more to SHOW that something is being done than actually to tame the problem . For anyone who has eyes to see and nose to smell knows that pollution on our roads not only did not improve but got worse despite the supposed installation of 5 or so air quality monitoring stations. What use these stations have if their data are just filed and put on a shelf collecting dust and when visibly polluting trucks ( especially of construction industry ) are still blatantly and freely breaking the law without any impunity .
Jesmond Micallef
Feb 26th 2010, 12:39
Why do I see cars in Malta which smoke like a chimney ? Diesel cars are very popular in Germany. I don't notice any smokey emissions from their exhaust. Why is it so ? Is it not the same automotive technology ? Gone are the days of the old bangers on Maltese roads.
At least in Valletta and the inner Harbour areas cars should be limited to one per family household. Valletta should Ideally be completely car free.
The public transport reform will definitely contribute to better air quality.
lgalea
Feb 26th 2010, 12:37
WHO IS LYING DR GONZI?
Alex Tanti
Feb 26th 2010, 12:05
Well done to the only MEP
Simon Busuttil...
seems to be the only MEP reported doing something...
however
seems that GONZIpn and Simon Busuttil are facing opposite directions....
one is after polluting these islands as much as possible....
in all aspects
(un restricted/regulated development/retaining old buses/importing and retaining used cars as long as possible on our roads)
they are quite successfully harming about....
imported used vehicles are currently saturating these isles....
so much for polluter pays
and all the latest research and development that Car manufacturers invest in....
Very short sighted political decisions,
as eventually all the related chronic ailments
will costs our coffers way much more.....
whilst this sole MEP is trying to achieve what is right and proper....
G. Fenech
Feb 26th 2010, 11:36
It seems that the people are being charged in more ways than one to cover the costs of making our air cleaner, but the government is probably using the money for something else.
If Malta gets fined, its the little guy that will have to fork out the money.... AGAIN.
There is a serious hole in our finances, that is draining everything we have.
tony abela
Feb 26th 2010, 11:29
"The Commission had already started infringement procedures against the island over excessive levels of particles in the air, known as PM10."
Was it not the PM himself who few weeks ago stated that the air quality in Malta is within the EU acceptable levels?
Who we have to believe, Dr Gonzi or Mr Potocnik?
Keith Abela
Feb 26th 2010, 11:28
In a climate change debate organised by Fondazzjoni IDEAT last week, Dr George Debono, author of the report "Towards a Low Carbon Society" , published by the Today Public Policy Institute and presented to the Prime Minister in June 2008, claimed that facts show Malta has a very serious air pollution problem, adding that Fgura has the highest rate of children suffering from asthma in the whole world.
Other facts show that Malta has a high coincidence of cancers that may be associated with the high levels of pollution. link: http://www.ideat.org.mt/stqarrija4.aspx
If environmental experts are continuously warning the government on behalf of the National interest, why are things remaining the same?
Keith Abela
Communications Coordinator
Fondazzjoni IDEAT