Opposition environment spokesman Leo Brincat today called on the government to assume political responsibility for the problem of black dust, thought to be soot, over the south of Malta.

He told a press conference with a number of mayors that it was disappointing that while, eight years ago, the government said that the source of the soot appeared to be Marsa power station, it was now saying it was conducting studes and collecting fresh samples.

The current situation, he said, led one to wonder how the governemnt would handle the 31 tons of ash which the new power extension at Delimara would produce every day.