The periodic recurrence of pollution with black dust in the inner harbour area, in Marsa and Fgura, is worrying, Alternattiva Demokratika said. The area is already heavily polluted because of the Marsa power station and heavy traffic.

Various documents and studies including a chemistry student’s thesis quoted in the Malta Environment and Planning Authority state of the environment report 2002, point to the Marsa power station as the source of the particulate pollution in 2000. It seems that more recent tests show that the recent black dust might be coming from another source.

AD’s spokesperson on industry, energy and transport, Ralph Cassar, said there seems to be a problem with monitoring and enforcement and went on to ask the Prime Minister to confirm or deny speculations that the enforcement unit at MEPA has been disbanded.

AD chairperson Michael Briguglio said that the electorate was tricked into believing that the Marsa power station would close down by the date of accession to the EU in 2004. “It seems that the residents of Fgura and environs have to wait till, at best 2012 or 2013 for the Marsa power station to be finally decommissioned. The government’s penchant for making promises it cannot keep has eroded the public’s trust in the country’s institutions.”