At last, Mepa identifies Marsa power station as likely source of 'black dust'
A report on the nature, distribution and likely source of coarse black dust particles in Malta, has concluded that the Marsa Power Station is the likely source of the problem, Mepa said today.
The report, which was drawn up by Professor Alfred J. Vella and a team working at the University of Malta, was commissioned by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) in August 2009, following an inconclusive investigation it had carried out a year earlier.
Long-standing complaints about black dust have originated mainly from Fgura and other towns in the southern area of the Grand Harbour such as Paola and Tarxien, with a spate of complaints received in the summer months of 2009.
Prof Vella's report is based on a study, which was carried out between August 2009 and November 2010 and its conclusions complement the conclusions reached by another study conducted by the same author in 1995 on "limestone surfaces in built-up environments as indicators of atmospheric pollution" and published in an international scientific journal.
"Given the large size of the black dust particles, the report concludes that their source is in close proximity to the areas which are highly affected by its deposition. The morphology and chemical composition of the analysed dust infer that combustion of fuel oil is the likeliest source of these soiling episodes and this, together with Malta's prevailing wind direction, all point to the Marsa power station as the constant main source of coarse black dust particles, although other sources cannot be excluded," Mepa said.
The Authority said the report anticipates that once the Marsa power station is decommissioned, deposition of the coarse black particles will very likely decrease considerably.
"However, the fine black dusts which motor traffic produces constantly and continuously will continue to affect any area where traffic flows are high."
In 2009 the Authority established emission limit values for dust, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at the Marsa power station through the issuing of an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit, and a derogation of 20,000 hours was applied, following which the Marsa power station will be decommissioned.
The full report and executive summary can viewed on the Authority's website http://www.mepa.org.mt/air-publications
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Joe Brincat-LL.D
Sep 21st 2011, 09:46
Years back, tongue in cheek, I wrote in the press how happy I was to see the smoke coming out of the chimney drifting in a direct line to the MEPA office in Floriana. I noticed it when I used to the helicopter to go to Gozo. When I was a member on the MEPA board, Dr Godwin Cassar mentioned it to me.
Well the smoke is often under the nose of MEPA. As I live very near the chimneys, we know when there is going to be dust. The activity at night at the power station, which is not silent, tells us when they are blowing the chimneys' nose !!! Then in the morning there is the particles of soot.
Once I was invited to attend a very glamorous ceremony, and I think it was under the auspices of Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, when coal was no longer used in the power station of Marsa. I did not attend, as I know it was not going to solve matters. Incidentally I had some idea about such chimneys, a knowledge obtained in Australia, how a power station keeps clean. There is only one solution....suitable filters. But these cost a lot. Then the residue has to be disposed of.
So as usual, we trust in divine providence to send the wind as the best chimney sweeper.
JL Abdilla
Sep 21st 2011, 01:01
Quite understandably you have to have a very high degree to be able to pinpoint the culprit behind the dust at Mepa. For example today at a hearing to safeguard the destruction of Wied il-Ghasel two Mepa officials a Mr. Cefai and Mr. Camilleri failed to define the meaning of the word CONSTRAINTS on map MOM7 which shows areas meant to be protected. They said they are not sure what it meant. What level of education does one have to have to give the meaning for a word like CONSTRAINTS?? This is the reason Wied il-Ghasel will be lost, due to the lack of protection by Mepa, so we now know who is to be held responsible......
Gustav Svensson
Sep 20th 2011, 09:18
I guess that a 6th form student could have concluded on this in 2 days...but what can you expect total lack of quality in so many things, roads, services at restaurants, quality of building, wast handling, pollution, water & electricity, schools, maintenance of historical sites, value of money, corruption... Okay many things are good in Malta but it all come down to mentallity and management. Don't settle for average, stop focus on short term profits..try to excel.
Mr Alfred Attard
Sep 20th 2011, 08:41
This is a great discovery. I think that those involved should apply for a job at CERN laboratory!!!!
Mr Malcolm Mifsud
Sep 20th 2011, 08:27
Likely is not a definite answer
John Scerri
Sep 20th 2011, 07:34
Bongu ...mela tar ritratt x'inhu ...cucu train ghaddejja ???
Marsa Power station has been emitting fine black dust and soot from the days when it used coal (faham) .
Mr J. Borg
Sep 20th 2011, 07:11
And still here in Fgura, Tarxien and Paola area we are still having black dust deposited on our roofs, patios, gardens and in our breathing system.
In the report it was said that this black dust is due to the mixture of oil being burnt at the Marsa Power station. And...i say is this the same mixture that is going to be used at the New Delimara power station.
Maybe someone could enlighten us about this....like Profs Mallia.
Mr M Spiteri
Sep 20th 2011, 02:01
Even a six year old boy would have told us so...after all every body knew except the prime minsiter and his cabinet......oh cabinet is excused after what Gonzi confessed to Molly.
Mr Ivan Calleja
Sep 20th 2011, 01:34
L-iskoperta tas-seklu!!!! Kien hemm bzonn dawn is-snin u studji kollha biex tinduna?!?!?!?! Mhux kulhadd ilu snin jaf li t-trab iswed minn hemm gej!!!
Philip Bonello
Sep 20th 2011, 00:01
So finally the political masters have decided to allow MEPA to stop its delaying tactics and admit the truth. Well, well, the election is getting nearer.
Jimmy Magro
Sep 19th 2011, 23:34
Shame. Scam. Shame.
Devote your time to cloud computing and you get better results.
Chris J Vassallo
Sep 19th 2011, 22:40
There must be some rocket science involved in this discovery!
Oh my god; It had to be a MEPA genius to outsource this incredible discovery. Amazing how nobody ever thought about this wonder of wonders. This proves that the MEPA Chairman indeed deserves his 100,000 and the millions of Euros in losses by MEPA are an investment and not money in the dust bin.
Now, how about getting to the serious issues! Where is the MEPA reform? How about issuing building permits in accordance to policies! This must be beyond MEPA’s IQ.
G G Debono
Sep 19th 2011, 21:38
So, 20 years later and after umpteen studies by "foreign experts" (not Maltese "cwiec" - mind you) we now have the answer we all knew !
I wonder how many tens (or hundreds) of thousands of liri/euros have been spent on these experts studies? All out of our pockets....
And now we have another dirty generator . Go back to square one and repeat story.....
When will we learn ?
Mr B Brincat
Sep 19th 2011, 21:38
A little research reveals that several studies have been commissioned on this phenomenon, and the first one was published in 1999! Furthermore, while most of these studies have pointed at the power station as the likely source, a 2007 MEPA study published in 2009 derailed previous findings completely. This latter report concluded that the black dust was unlike the power station flyash, in that it contained no Vanadium or Nickel, and hence the source was unlikely to be the power station. Read all about it in this old ToM article:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091029/local/dust.279478
Given that this is a potential health hazard, given the very long timeframes these reports have taken to be published, and given that we now have this U-turn by MEPA, I think that the public is due explanations if this administration seeks any credibility.
Stefan Sacco
Sep 19th 2011, 21:11
Kont se nqum u nkanta GLORIA !!!!! Imma that "likely" ghalfejn qeghda hemm??....allura fejn konna bqajna !!! Likely source ma kienx hemm ghalfejn professuri jghiduli ghax in nanna Cett ( Alla Jahfrila ) bil kemm tikteb ma kienet taf fil power station kienet twahhal !! Boq !!!
Steve Zammit
Sep 19th 2011, 21:05
about timeeeeeeeeeeee
Ray Abela
Sep 19th 2011, 19:52
"A report on the nature, distribution and likely source of coarse black dust particles in Malta, has concluded that the Marsa Power Station is the LIKELY source of the problem, Mepa said today"
Is it the source or is it not?
Mr Edward Mallia
Sep 19th 2011, 23:28
The whole report is a simple charade. It was obvious from the beginning that the fairly sudden onset of black dust was caused by the switching off -- on ministerial orders -- of the Marsa precipitators. Professor Alfred Vella and his University team constituted a sort of procrastination brigade designed to stretch times scales to the point when the general public has other things to worry about. After all parliament set up a black dust committee which has never held any sessions. It simply fell by the wayside, overwhelmed by 'the divorce debate'. Now we have the final act of this report, which should be buried in unhallowed ground.
Rocco Camilleri
Sep 19th 2011, 19:29
Veru hela ta' flus f'rizorsi ta' nies biex inkunu nafu minn fejn gej it-trab iswed. Dan mhux sens komun!!! Mela minn fejn seta gie dan it-trab mill- qamar jew, jekk mhux mill-Power Station ???? Jien nghidlek li kieku ma' kienux ta' l-EU jigru warajna qatt ma' konna nikkonkludu dawn l-eggubijiet . Veru Pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse kif kien qalilna wiehed.
m. borg
Sep 19th 2011, 19:21
@Peter Seebohm
In Malta we also can go to courts to get an injunction or whatever, but by the time you get a ruling things would have changed a lot,.
Either you die of lung diseases or the power station is changed a couple of times, well I guess you can get the gist of my comment.
Mr Steve Sant
Sep 19th 2011, 19:08
In fact I blame the power station for the partial black smoke on the horizon every morning (the other was due to the buses fumes).
R. Gauci
Sep 19th 2011, 18:56
Iva !! Ara kemm huma bravi tal-Mepa lanqas konna nafu ta !!!
Victor Pulis
Sep 19th 2011, 18:30
Imnalla nqata z-zmien tal buzullotti ghax kieku qatt ma konna nsiru nafu!
Tony Zammit
Sep 20th 2011, 06:45
LOL
buzullotti: Starts when student go back to school and in rainy weather, slip sliding away, which should be with us soooon.
Charles Busuttil
Sep 19th 2011, 18:27
Now what do we do? Shall we accelerate the work on the Delimara Power Station extention so that we can shut down the Marsa Power Station? Will the Delimara Power Station be a repeat performance of the one at Marsa, given that the one at Delimara is to operate on heavy fuel oil?
Mr Paul Cassar
Sep 19th 2011, 18:23
IN EDUCATION, IN ECONOMICS,IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS, ETC ETC ..............WE TAKE
YEARS AND SPEND THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS.....................TO PROVE THAT GANNI TAT TRIQ WAS
ALWAYS RIGHT.
Edgar Azzopardi
Sep 19th 2011, 17:49
Alleluya.
Perhaps I can finally wear white shirts instead of a paler shade of grey, and my wife can stop constantly sweeping the parapett and roof.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Sep 19th 2011, 17:44
Il veru ma tistax tigieh wahda tajba lill Gonzi dan l-ahhar . U siehbu jinsisti li fadlillhom 20 sena ohra fill gvern. Ara kif ser nintlew nugrufun mela.
Mr Angus Black
Sep 19th 2011, 18:38
Forsi jibnu power station il-Mellieha ghax ilhom itektkuwha li hemm bzonn wiehed dawk l-inhawi. Forsi il-progressivi stess jibnuwha jekk xi darba jitilghu fil-gvern.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Sep 19th 2011, 20:29
Angus,b'par idejn sodi kollox possibli.
Peter Seebohm
Sep 19th 2011, 17:29
Say against Germany what you like.
But at Germany it wouldn´t run more the a couple of few hours.
Any private person can go to court to get an interim disruption of service due those pollutions.
Till filters etc. are installed.
Thats a good thing at Germany
Probbly they have filters present, but no one knows how to install? Or more likely, not willing to install?
Mr Albert Dimech
Sep 19th 2011, 17:45
How on earth can you compare Malta to Germany? LOL.........
Mr John Bonnici
Sep 19th 2011, 17:50
or more likely they are installed, they know how to operate them, but they told them to switch them off !! As by te case of a couple of months ago which was also revealed by the times.
Peter Seebohm
Sep 19th 2011, 19:05
Mr. Dimech
I surely don´t compare Germany with Malta. How can I compare beautiful Malta with a bureaucracy dictatorship of administration, like it is at Germany
It was only telling you a fact
A Dimech
Sep 19th 2011, 17:25
what is really irritating is the delaying tactics used by the government.
Let's not forget that the "new" powerstation was supposed to replace the Marsa powerstation about 10 to 15 years ago - but this never happened!! god knows why.... but probably this was because of bad execution by this failed administration.
It is really irritating that the government employs tactics of delaying etc. to get people to "forget". I am no scientists, but I cannot imagine that to prove that the Black smoke was comign from Marsa should have taken more then a couple of months!!
The real issue is that black smoke such as this cause illness - Asthma, Cancer and other. People PROBABLY have been suffering and the government was jsut employing delaying tactics.
The difference between PL was that people used to know when something was not right - because they didn't know how to hide it, whilst PN is a master in hiding and make people to forget. But know, the nice mask is melting and reality is hitting home!!
Perhaps we should believe PN when they say that they are right and Moody's is wrong!! shall we?!!
Tony Borg
Sep 19th 2011, 17:22
EUREKA!!!
Mr louis scicluna
Sep 19th 2011, 17:20
Jigifieri din ser tieqaf hawn issa ? U barra bid-daqq, u gewwa biz-zfien ? Ghax kief jaf kullhad il-power ststion ma tahdimx wahida. Jew din l-istorja ser tkompli bhal l-ohrajn bil-"hmar iwahhal f'dembu" ???
Mr M camilleri
Sep 19th 2011, 17:15
LOL
Mr Daniel Jones
Sep 19th 2011, 17:14
Now we know (like we didn't already) I assume the engineers have immediately gone in and closed it down due to the associated health hazards.
It would be really a really stupid authority that allowed this to continue now its official.
Maybe a class action law suit should also be forthcoming on behalf of anyone living under this health hazard.
A Galea
Sep 19th 2011, 17:13
Next news item: The government has commissioned an expert to draw up an analysis based on the report drawn up by MEPA......... that should make sure this administration can pass the buck to next one.
A Galea
Sep 19th 2011, 17:05
Pray how much did this report cost? All Fgura/Paola/Tarxien residents have been saying this for ages. Kudos to MEPA. Oh and didn't Dr. Gonzi say the problem was solved? Or is there too much dust to be swept under the carpet? Well done indeed, thank you for putting the health of the Maltese people first and foremost.
Carmel Cilia
Sep 19th 2011, 17:01
About time., now that this power station is going to be closed. Veru tahsbuh daqhekk cuc lil-Malti
mario gellel
Sep 19th 2011, 17:00
AT LAST WE GET THE "FARSA TAS-SEKLU ". HOT TOPIC FOR TONIGHT'S PN SO CALLED INDIPENDENCE PAROLI.
Mr Albert Dimech
Sep 19th 2011, 16:54
Eureka!!!!! Just what we've all known for 10 years. Taking people for a ride for so long, when it was so obvious that there could have been no other source. It means just one thing, that the plant is about to be shut down and so it is now convenient to tell the 'truth' at last. We are SICK of this playing with people's lives....long live Austin!!!
R Axisa
Sep 19th 2011, 16:53
and only God knows how much money has been spent on reports and investigations on such thing which was so obvious! Shame.
Victor Pulis
Sep 19th 2011, 16:50
The government should never have commissioned a cuc Malti to investigate. That's what happens when one doesn't take one's own advice!
Pule' Carmel
Sep 19th 2011, 22:12
Professor Alfred Vella is a highly respected expert in his field and such an expression should not have been used here.
Professor Carmel Pule'
Victor Pulis
Sep 19th 2011, 16:48
I would never have suspected! Who'd have thought that Marsa power station was the culprit?!
Pule' Carmel
Sep 19th 2011, 16:39
Just for curiosity, would someowork out how much The Marsa Power Station would gain if the condenser cooling water took its cold inflow from the Marsa Regetta club area and exhausted its hot outflow at its present point.
Also would some one tell me how much silting takes place each year in that bay around the power station when the Qormi Marsa floodwater channel carries so Tons and tons and tons of silt in it due to mud and soil and unconcreated partches, that exist all along it! The Efficiency of the Marsa power station also depends on the efficiency of the Qormi Flood water channel and its silting contributions. If all the authorities realize that Malta is a chain and any failed link will affectt he whole result. It sounds silly does it not, but electricity in Malta is high because of the inefficiency of the Qormi Marsa floodwater channel. There are other reasons of course , but I am sure someone will write asking me to tell that to the marines!!! If only the authorities concerned would listen to me, we can have a better Malta. But obviously in Malta I am not an authority, I am just a number.
Peter Camilleri
Sep 20th 2011, 10:56
@ Mr Carmel Pule'
I cannot comment on your suggestions, as I am simply unable to fathom exactly what you mean. Regarding the last part of your contribution, you should realise, of course, that there are many ifs in life. You say that if the Authorities concerned would only listen to you, we can have a better Malta. And if Barack Obama had only listened to Edward Debono, he would have had a better America !!!
I am afraid I have no idea what your field of expertise is, but your comment, taken as a whole amply demonstrates that you are certainly no authority in orthography - I use the word in its colloquial sense.
Pule' Carmel
Sep 20th 2011, 16:47
Malta is not made efficient by what we write on these comments but what we actually do in real life.
Pule' Carmel
Sep 20th 2011, 17:50
*****The Power Station is a heat engine whose efficiency depends on the difference of temperatures of the incoming steam to the turbine and the output temperature at the condenser. The higher this difference the cheaper we get our electricity. I shall not talk about the smoking end of the power station, but a grey hew (not black) at the Chimney is desired. Now the condenser end is cooled by seawater and if this sea water gets too hot as it does not circulate well enough at Menqa/Marsa, then the condenser temperature will not be the lowest.
Now at any power station, if you separate the incoming and outgoing cooling flow of water in the condenser, the condenser temperature will be cooler hence a more efficient Station. At Marsa, Menqa, things were not optimally designed, I believe.
To help this cooling, one needs a good volume of seawater circulation and so the deeper the sea the better for cooling. Now at Marsa we get a lot of silting due to the Marsa Floodwater channel. All the Floodwater channel from Attard etc, and Siggiewi and other areas, come down through the Qormi Marsa floodwater channel depositing tons of silt at Menqa where the condensers of the Marsa Powers Station obtain their cooling water. The silt causes the bottom of the sea to rise and so the circulation of water is not efficient, raising its temperature reflecting on less cooling efficiency and more smoke at the chimney to get the same power eventually.
Basically this was the essence of my contribution. I do not always intend for my comments to be understood by everybody, but the authorities concerned would understand what I am hinting at. As far as my orthography and colloquial mistakes, you are correct, I need to be careful, but at my age, I suppose dementia will soon starts having its effect and I have to be more observant. But really I do not think it would worry me that much, hoping that the readers would be tolerant, and dedicate more importance to the essence of the contents rather than the symbolic scenario. However you are correct, and I must be careful, if my dementia does not overshadow my being careful!
Here is an interesting situation, no matter how I write, even with spelling mistakes, the final essence of the symbols I write on paper, does not exist in the symbols I print, but essence is in the mind of the reader through his own education. If the reader was not prepared for the real essence in what I write, years before hand , he will still not understand it if during his education, he was not made familiar with the real essence of symbols I print, even if they were perfect in orthography and colloquialism.
Peter Camilleri
Sep 20th 2011, 18:45
@ Mr Carmel Pule'
Meaningless platitudes convey nothing new, but if you really must have the last word, be my guest. Bye-bye.
Tony Dalli
Sep 19th 2011, 16:38
What a farce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Sep 19th 2011, 16:26
Did we need a professor for this???
Ms Rose Cilia
Sep 19th 2011, 16:23
Little by little we are seeing the incompetence of this government. It took MEPA nine years to conclude the issue of the "black dust'. Unbelievable!
Mr John Portelli
Sep 19th 2011, 16:23
Now WE REALY FEEL safe!
What else is MEPA going to tell us that we have known all along? Maybe that we have run out of ground water or maybe that we can close MEPA down because we have built every imaginable spot in Malta!
No wonder MEPA lacked "Common Sense" all this time!!
Mr Matthew Degiorgio
Sep 19th 2011, 16:22
Qed tara...... fl-ahhar indunajna!!!!
Mr R Bartolo
Sep 19th 2011, 16:20
At night time, travelling on the Santa Lucija - Luqa road, the plume of smoke from the power station was (was, because I have not used this road at night for a while now) clearly visible due to the light pollution. The smoke rose, but within maybe 2km, it could often be seen to descend to ground level. When the wind direction was amenable, residents of Fgura would wake up to black particles atop their vehicles, the ferrous content clearly noticeable because if not cleaned off the morning dew would cause the particles to leach out brown rusty liquid.
It was obvious to any idiot with eyes to see that there was one major source of this black dust.
As to whether this is harmful to human health, well, at least that subject may be worthy of enagagement of experts.
Mr R ferriggi
Sep 19th 2011, 16:18
this took years to arrive to.
the sewerage situation took years to arrive to.
the pollution situation took years to arrive to.
the reason behind asthma and cancers in the cottonera took years to arrive to.
the study for windfarms took years to arrive to.
the smell at that house took years to arrive to.
the government of late arrivals.
what arrrives quickly self-appointed is the wage increase for the parliamentarians.
Simon Cassar
Sep 19th 2011, 18:33
insejt l arriva :)
Mr Etienne Galea
Sep 19th 2011, 16:17
Wow, that was a difficult task to identify. Awards should be given for this laborious investigation.
D. Farrugia
Sep 19th 2011, 16:10
Tal-misthija! Fit-2000 kienet diga giet identifikata l-power station tal-Marsa bhala s-sors tal-black dust. Typical delaying tactics of a politically-failed administration.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091028/local/nine-years-after-expert-report-mepa-opts-for-more-studies.279232
Mr Mike Abbot
Sep 19th 2011, 16:09
only a politician or a board of directors with no ethical values could look at that picture and say there is no soot in that smoke.
A Dimech
Sep 19th 2011, 15:56
Took years to arrive to this conclusion - when everbody knew that this was the issue....
now, can we try to link cancer rates to black dust and to the Marsa poerstation? and if such a link can be proven, can the vistims apply/sue for compensation?
that is where this should go to!!
that would remove the smile from Gonzi's face ; finally he can take responsability about something apart from taking photos and smiling!!
Eric Camilleri
Sep 19th 2011, 15:55
No Mepa you must be wrong. You have to be wrong after all these years. Every time I saw dark black billowing smoke from Enemalta's chimneys at Marsa it was always an illusion !
Mr Jeffrey Mallia
Sep 19th 2011, 15:48
Ohhhhh what a great discovery........Well done MEPA............this country really needs you............to waste taxpayer's money that is !!
R. Abela
Sep 19th 2011, 15:46
If the Titanic ship had to be build in Malta, it never sunk. DO YOU KNOW WHY?
Because it's still unfinished. Ha, ha ha, ......
Cari A. M
Sep 19th 2011, 16:31
Love your comment!! But we have to look at the bright side of that... all those people wouldn't have drowned :P
Mr Robert Agius
Sep 19th 2011, 15:46
Ding ******* Dong!!!! How much money was spent on this 'research'? are the people who formed part of the committee appointed for this paid? XEJN SEW!!!!
Ramon Mangion
Sep 19th 2011, 15:45
Wow kellna ghalfejn inqabbdu konsulent u ntuh il-belli liri ghal dan
Peter Seebohm
Sep 19th 2011, 15:44
I can´t believe that: "At last, Mepa identifies Marsa power station as source of 'black dust'
How long is it blasting and how long did MEPA need to recognize that the power plant chimney, who´s making this pollution, belongs to the power plant?
Mr Stephen Florian
Sep 19th 2011, 15:44
All they needed to do was to come and have a look at the chimneys billowing smoke at night time, when they think no one is looking !
N. Bonello
Sep 19th 2011, 15:43
Wasn't it obvious. I know of people living in Fgura/Tarxien that have been complaining for 10 YEARS. They knew the obvious 10 years ago and only now we are told the obvious.
Where are all those ENEMALTA CONsultants that tied to fool everyone that IT WASN'T Marsa - NAME AND SHAME THEM - they took enough of my Tax money to disprove the obvious.
Mr Joseph Aquilina
Sep 19th 2011, 15:45
name, shame and fire!!
Mr Joe Morana
Sep 19th 2011, 15:42
About time !!!
Please stop insulting peoples' intelligence..!!!
Mr Karl Consiglio
Sep 19th 2011, 15:42
As long as there is a law of having pictures of warning on cigarette packets
Mark Piscopo
Sep 19th 2011, 15:42
Thousands of complaints were made from residents of the South of Malta due to respiratory problems caused by this black dust but were ignored. Hope that with this article the authorities will take action and the government will remove the extension application.
S. Galea
Sep 19th 2011, 15:40
Ara, mela l-Gvern induna li tas-South xbajna nigu trattati hekk?? Hemm xi cans li jinduna li Malta ma tieqafx sal-airport, u li xbajna fuq li xbajna 25 sena injorati f'artna?
Mr Joseph Calleja
Sep 19th 2011, 15:33
What if it is evident that this black dust flowing out of these chimneys for the last few decades causes health problems? Why did it take so long to establish that the black dust was coming from the chimneys of the Marsa Plant? Why the big delay and what is the government going to do about all this. As the phrase goes, Is the Government a day late and a dollar short? I think Mepa should be demolished and rebuilt from scratch.
S. BONAVIA
Sep 19th 2011, 15:30
Recently Siemens of Germany has just launched on the market a new turbine capable of light whole Berlin with minimum pollution using gas , I think its suitable for our country after all its German hi-tech.
Watch it on Utube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7KXlnsoTg
Lino Busuttil
Sep 19th 2011, 15:28
Show that picture to a monkey and ask it, where is the black smoke coming from? Where does the dust settle once it sinks? The monkey spends more time pondering when to stop eating the peanutsthan to answer the question?
Mr Emmanuel Ebejer
Sep 19th 2011, 15:28
WOW...there must be some really bright people working at MEPA. I'm sure NASA would be interested in them!!
Mr W Cassar
Sep 19th 2011, 15:25
It was obvious... only in Malta!
Ms pat muscat
Sep 19th 2011, 15:24
At last, a great scientific breakthrough!
Censu Filgolli
Sep 19th 2011, 15:20
no sheep sherlock?
Mr Victor Calleja
Sep 19th 2011, 15:19
Now what MEPA? We the residents of Fgura knew that from the very beginning. Now we need action fast. Stop the dust . We had enough.
By the way MEPA you should have asked us. It would have been much cheaper for you.
francis Buhagiar
Sep 19th 2011, 15:17
What a great discovery................George.
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Sep 19th 2011, 15:15
Issa ghidulu lil-Demarco li sibtu il-kaptu minajr ma mortu thabbtu bieb bieb il-Marsa u tittalbu il-boroz tat-trab iswed.
Michael Lloyd
Sep 19th 2011, 15:13
Hmmmm - so all that pollution wasn't caused by the old yellow buses after all!
James Hili
Sep 19th 2011, 15:09
Wow incredible...what smart guys we have at MEPA..please pass on this breaking news to CNN; BBC; Al Jazeera..ara vera pajjiz tal-biki!!!!
Paul Micallef
Sep 19th 2011, 15:07
About time!
Mr Jonathan Calleja
Sep 19th 2011, 15:04
What a great discovery......the black dust is coming from Marsa Power Station.... After 3-5 years of intensive investigation . !
Franco Abela
Sep 19th 2011, 15:03
Yes, cars do emit pollution... but that is negligible to the Marsa powerstation.
Clayton Bezzina
Sep 19th 2011, 15:03
What about all the residents, suffering from medical complications??? Will they get some form of compensation? And who will have to pay for the compensation?!
Who will shoulder the responsibility???
Mr Victor Calleja
Sep 19th 2011, 15:13
You my dear friend by by paying higher utility bills.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Sep 19th 2011, 15:19
The responsibly and the cost rest entirely on the Government for being so negligent in recognizing the problem in the first place. Any dummy could have told you that black dust was coming from the Marsa Power Station, but we have to an assessment of everything and spend thousands of euros to confirm that.
Nicholas Grech
Sep 19th 2011, 15:03
hmmmm....thanks for conferming what the rest of Maltese people already knew.
wow black dust particles in Malta and a power staion chimney spewing out black dust. this is obviously a 1+1 situation how thick does one have to be to not notice that?
J Farrugia
Sep 19th 2011, 14:58
NO S**T SHERLOCK.
Mr N. Agius
Sep 19th 2011, 14:56
Did anyone earn good money ? Wasn't it obvious??
Mr Patrick Zammit
Sep 19th 2011, 14:56
This is truly groundbreaking.
Daniela Caruana
Sep 19th 2011, 14:56
The Government had all the data and resources, and it took several years to finally establish the source.
PL, without such data and resources, were right from the start on this issue.
This is pure mediocrity!
Mr Angus Black
Sep 19th 2011, 14:54
Surprise, surprise.
This plant has exceeded its life expectancy by a few years and the sooner the Delimara PS extension is completed and operational, the better for the Marsa and area residents.
Of course, obstacles thrown in the works by the M'scala Council regarding the chimney height at the Delimara PS are a sure way of extending the Marsa residents' inconvenience. The M'scala Council seem to be environmental experts. It's too bad that their expertise is only exercised when a government project is under way. We all remember the objections from the same council to the Sant'Antnin plant and Joseph's efforts to have EU funds suspended.
Paul Micallef
Sep 19th 2011, 15:08
Mela naghmluha kif qed jipproponi l gvern tieghek ha nigu ottu! Nuzaw prototype li hadd qatt ma uza u bil fuel oil! Inteligenti int ta sur Black. Nahseb int l espert, dnub ma jlahhqux lilek!
Mr Angus Black
Sep 19th 2011, 16:33
@ Paul Micallef
Espert m'inhix, imma nista nfakkrek li:
Il-PS tal-Marsa imbena taht gvern Laburista.
Il-PS tal-Marsa kien 'second hand'.
Il-PS tal-Marsa ilu jdahhan min 1950.
Il-PS tal-Marsa kien jahdem bil-HF - xejn gdid.
Il-PS tal-Marsa kien ikkonvertit minn Mintoff milli jahraq iz-zejt u ghamlu jahdem bil-faham.
Gvern Nazzjonalista rega qalbu biex jahdem biz-zejt kif kien qabel u b'hekk naqqas il-hsara ambjentali.
X'ghamel Leo Brincat fi zmien gvernijiet Socjalisti? Jew jahasra kien ghadu zghir wisq f'ghajnejn il-mexxejja ta dak iz-zmien?
Il-Laburisti qatt ma fethu halqhom matul dan iz-zmien kollu imma issa minn mindu lahaq Joseph, saru ghorrief f'daqqa wahda. Qatt, per ezempju, ma fethu halqhom dwar it-trab iswed, imma meta t-tarzna ghaddiet f'idejn Palumbo, inqala rebus u pperikolaw l-impieg ta hafna.
Il-Partit Laburista maghmul min qabda qerrieda u kull min jimxi warajh veru ghama u trux.
Joseph Borg
Sep 19th 2011, 19:57
PS il gvern tieghek Mr Black ilu fil gvern min 1987!
PS 24 sena biex isolvi il problema!!!
Jiena forsi ghama u trux imma int tghix fil qamar ghandu jkun jew fin 1950!
Mr John Borg
Sep 19th 2011, 14:53
Did it have to take so long?
Couldn't one simply collect a sample from the chimney and compare its microscopic structure to that found in the neighbouring locailities?
Even if you watch a little Crime Scene Investigation on discovery channel, one would know this is possible!
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE!!
frans camilleri
Sep 19th 2011, 14:52
kif jighdu, ma tridx tmur l universita biex tinduna
J Cutajar
Sep 19th 2011, 14:50
Well well well...at last! What the Opposition has been saying for years, and what the government has been hiding, is now clear!
Did we really have to wait all this time to get to the bottom of this?
Neville Mangion
Sep 19th 2011, 14:50
... "commissioned by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) in August 2009" ....
Goooooood Morning MEPA !!!! and now what we'll have to wait till 2013 for an action ...
Mr Alex Buds
Sep 19th 2011, 14:49
In other news, another study commissioned by the university concluded that the sun was the most probable cause of heat on earth, although other sources of heat cannot be excluded....
Mr Eric Gahn
Sep 19th 2011, 14:47
Interesting. Just when the Marsa is a burden to the Govt and they need public support to get rid of it, FINALLY (magically, mysteriously, miraculously) MEPA finds that IT is the source of the black dust which (may I remind all) at one point our dear PM said could not find enough of to constitute a sample for study. Well done MEPA for being an un-independent institution.
Mark-anthony Fenech
Sep 19th 2011, 14:43
Surprise, surprise!
FRANS H SAID
Sep 19th 2011, 14:42
Traffic - remove ALL junk cars from the road. Stop the importation of second hand cars. There are a number of small models with the reach of pockets and people do not need flashy cars. Tax (and very hight) by emissions. Half of the cars in Malta will soon be off the streets to be replaced by economic models. But this is good income for the exchequer and parking fines for local councils.
There we talk about pollution but do exactly the contrary to what is good for Malta
Michael Lloyd
Sep 19th 2011, 15:16
Why the outburst against cars? It's the power station causing the pollution. And what business is it of yours what size cars people elect to drive? If you hate cars so much go and live on the island of Sark in the Channel Islands between England and France. Cars are banned there.
John Micallef
Sep 19th 2011, 14:42
Shocking surprise!
What was the total cost spent to reach such a conclusion?
Melvin Gauci
Sep 19th 2011, 14:41
WOW! That is super-surprising! No wonder it took MEPA all these years to figure it out -- the answer turned out to be eludingly obvious.
Franco Abela
Sep 19th 2011, 14:41
Wasn't it obvious!!!
Where do you think that black smoke ended up?
Joe Scerri
Sep 19th 2011, 14:38
The photo above is enough proof.