Recent black dust 'significantly different' to that of previous years - Mepa

Mepa said today that the appearance and size of black dust it collected this summer after complaints from Cospicua and Fgura was significantly different to the black dust that had got deposited last year in the south of Malta, particularly in Fgura.

The authority confirmed that it had given the prime minister to reply he gave in parliament on Monday to a question where he was asked whether more tests on the source of the black dust would be made. Dr Gonzi said no further tests were planned since the black dust issue had not reappeared since August last year.

Mepa said the first black dust it received this year was from a resident of Cospicua on July 14, two days after it had provided the Office of the Prime Minster with a reply to Labour MP Leo Brincat’s parliamentary question, made on July 7.

It then received another three complaints about black dust from Fgura residents on July 27 and August 4 and 13.

Mepa responded by collecting samples from the complainants’ residences and it interviewed residents from the area indicated by Mr Brincat.

The authority said that initial analysis clearly showed that the dust collected this summer was significantly different to the black dust that had got deposited last year in the south of Malta, particularly in Fgura.

The quantities deposited were also significantly lower than in the summer of 2009.

Initial tests showed a significant quantity of iron in one sample, indicating a high possibility that the source of this pollution was from a scrap yard. These preliminary results indicated that there might be multiple sources of this dust.

Mepa said it would continue to carry out the necessary tests and investigate further complaints. It pointed out that in August 2009, it had installed a number of samplers at locations agreed upon with the Fgura Local Council.

To date, due to the intensity of the problem having decreased, not enough black dust has been collected to make the analysis feasible and secure using accepted laboratory methods.