Mepa rejects claims from three NGOs on air quality

William Zammit

Jul 10th 2010, 18:42

So, the culprit has been the Sahara desert all the time ... one problem though, I've yet to see BLACK Sahara desert sand.

We really need to get serious about ait pollution, anyone ever noticed how not even heavy motorway traffic in Europe stinks the way emissions in Malta do? Probably the vast majority of our heavy vechicles are being fuelled with anything but proper diesel. How about a few random checks, MEPA?

E. Azzopardi

Jul 10th 2010, 12:34

OK, certain excesses are coming from the Sahara and the sea. We cannot do anything about that. But all that dangerous smoke coming out of the buses, trucks, minivans and even small private cars ( it's there for all to see whereever you go) has nothing to do with the Sahara and "CAN" be tackled but it is NOT being tackled. So forget the Sahara excuses and let us do what is in OUR power to do. Get cracking and eradicate all that smoke. Unbelievable!

Eric Gahn

Jul 10th 2010, 12:04

I really do not know what these green NGO's are raising hell about this. There is clearly enough Oxygen in the air for everyone with a little bit of added particulates and other chemicals to make the air smell better. What do they want? The air to smell of roses or wet grass?

I fully trust MEPA in thier methods and judgement. History proves that they are always right!

Astrid Vella

Jul 10th 2010, 10:49

PART 1: There is strong evidence that particulate concentrations are higher in homes on heavy traffic streets. It has also been shown that cancer and premature mortality rates are higher in traffic-congested areas. The fact that exhaust from our buses and other diesel vehicles is mostly emitted in densely built-up areas and often in narrow streets which prevents it from dispersing, should be prompting immediate action, irrespective of what air monitoring PART 1: The issue of pollution emitted by vehicles on our roads is hugely important to our health because such emissions are heavily laden with toxic particles and substances which are inhaled by all.

Our government is aware of the strong evidence of emission impacts on residents' health, some of which may be seen at: http://www.faa.org.mt/who_on_air_quality that such pollution was responsible for increased cancer rates and premature deaths, mostly from lung and heart disease. Extensive international studies showed that children growing in traffic-polluted environments suffered permanent lung damage and increased rates of asthma attacks as shown by the rate of hospitalization for asthma in Fgura, the highest in the world.stations indicate.

Astrid Vella

Jul 10th 2010, 10:44

PART 2: Dust from construction activity and particles from the exhaust of excavation machinery are often emitted in congested sites.This also highlights the pressing need to introduce planning policies to curb urban over-development.

In spite of this outrageously incorrect statements aimed at misleading the public continue to be made.

The most recent was the announcement by the Health Ministry that the cancer rate in the southeast of Malta was "lower than the national average" and the preposterous claim that "it did not appear that fly ash had caused an increase in cancer rates" when it is known that cancers may incubate for up to 20 years.

The fumes emitted by traffic on our crowded roads are visible to all; credible air quality monitoring can only confirm what the public already knows but what our ministers insist on ignoring: that something is fundamentally wrong and that there is shameless flouting of the law

We invite readers to sign a petition against air pollution at http://www.faa.org.mt/air_pollution_petition