It is nothing short of preposterous, in the first place, that several areas of the country have been plagued by mysterious black dust pollution for several years and that no one in a position of authority had been able to officially identify the source of the pollution, or offer up any kind of explanation that has been anything more than half-baked.

As a result, so many citizens have been living with an unknown and potentially hazardous health threat. For years they have been left in the dark and only able to speculate on the source of the dust and the toll it may or may not have taken on their health.

And although last week’s scientific report on the black dust merely confirmed the long-held suspicion that the source of the pollution is the Marsa power station, that was no reason for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to have kept that confirmation under wraps for a whole six months.

Politicians almost incessantly harp on about our quality of life. But if something such as not knowing what you and your family are breathing each waking, and sleeping, moment, does not detract from one’s quality of life, then what does? Still, the authorities held onto the report for six whole months.

Not only that, but the report’s findings were published in the media before they were given to the parliamentary committee set up specifically to investigate the black dust problem. Such disrespect for or lack of understanding of the workings of a parliamentary committee are unacceptable from an authority such as MEPA, and the condemnation from both sides of the political divide comprising the committee was perfectly correct.

But while Parliament’s pride may have been ever so slightly dented by the incident, it is those citizens living in the shadows of the Marsa power station who have truly been disrespected. These people have a real environmental health concern and the public authority responsible for looking into that concern not only took so long to get going but, once it did, it kept a lid on the findings for another full half year.

A number of reasons for the delay have been given - people were on leave, the executive summary took a long time to compile, the industrial action at Hexagon House – but even if such ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuses are actually true, there is certainly something wrong if the nation’s environmental authority does not have appropriate back-up or contingency plans in place for circumstances such as people being out on leave.

But these reasons still fail to account for the report’s findings having been published in the media before they were given to the parliamentary committee specifically set up to look into the matter.

Putting aside the allegations that the report had been intentionally buried for a full half year for one reason or another and putting aside accusations of something more malicious being afoot, the whole matter smacks of sheer incompetence.

Any delay in giving the people the answers they have been waiting for is already outrageous behaviour from those who we entrust to look after our environment, health and wellbeing. But the fact that the government has consistently downplayed the problem and that the report has held the government itself accountable has not instilled much faith in the processes leading up to the report’s belated publication.