The article Power Stations Slash Emissions (May 6) gives the impression that Enemalta has become an environmental champion and that it is no longer a serious polluter. Nevertheless, as the article had to admit, while there has been some improvement, the European Commission still finds that emissions are too high.

The article also omits important recent events that cast doubt on the government’s and Enemalta’s readiness to abide by EU standards.

Submissions for a tender for electrostatic precipitators to reduce dust emissions from the Delimara power station boilers to EU standards closed on February 17. This tender was cancelled by a notification signed by the director general (Contracts) of March 25. This contract was intended to bring down dust emissions to 20mg/Nm3, the limit stipulated in the Industrial Emissions Directive. According to the information supplied to bidders and to Enemalta published data, the Delimara boilers at best hover around the 30 mg/Nm3 with many resultant occasions when readings are even appreciably higher.

Media reports at the time cast doubts on EU funding for this project. When the responsible minister was asked in Parliament if cancellation of this tender was due to cancellation of EU funding, Minister Tonio Fenech merely stated that Enemalta emissions had improved appreciably. Enemalta’s own data and that submitted to bidders show that, despite the minister’s statement, the Delimara boilers do not meet the EU dust emission standards invoked by the Contracts Department. Moreover, the Contracts Committee had informed bidders that in the event that EU funds were not forthcoming, this project was already covered by Enemalta’s budget.

Irrespective of EU standards and Malta’s obligations to meet these standards, particulate emissions are highly dangerous. This is more relevant in a country like Malta with its already high incidence of asthma, particularly childhood asthma, and other bronchial diseases including lung cancer. Particulate emissions from combustion plants have also been linked to cardiovascular disease, another major killer in Malta. Particulates become more dangerous the finer they are and in fact no safe lower limit is known for the finer particles.

The cancellation of the Delimara precipitators is another nail in government’s and Enemalta’s environmental coffin and in the actual coffins of residents in the south of Malta.

While certain correspondents may choose to resort to selective reporting in the media, this is ultimately unfair on the Maltese people. Particularly when we have a situation where for every step forward made, we invariably happen to make another step back or two; the people have a right to be informed and certainly not to be misled by the media.