Residents of Attard who live a short distance form the Wied Incita quarries have demanded action by Mepa and the Prime Minister over clouds of white dust that are frequently enveloping their residences.

Their pleas are being supported by Attard council, two of whose councillors told a press conference this morning that appeals for the quarry owners to improve air quality did not appear to have been heeded.

The council earlier this month also filed two judicial protests over the issue against Mepa and the Commissioner of Land.

Councillor Marco Spiteri said the residents could not open the windows of their houses, they could not dry their clothes outside, and their cars were quickly covered in fine white dust.

But even worse, this was a health hazard and a cause of hardship particularly among asthma sufferers.

Mr Spiteri said the source of the dust was building material dumped in the quarries, but he also complained that far too many trucks - as many as 200 per day - were transiting Attard on the way to and from the quarries.

Councillor Ralph Cassar insisted that Mepa enforcement notices issued against the quarry needed to be acted upon.

In November, he said, Mepa wrote to the owners asking them to improve air quality, stop excavations outside the quarry perimeter, reduce the height of the dust dumps, submit a quarries restoration plan and a plan for the phased extraction of the remaining minerals.Yet, he said, it seemed that nothing had happened.

Mr Cassar appealed to the Prime Minister, as the minister responsible for Mepa,to intervene in the interests of the people.