In a press conference yesterday, AD’s European Parliament election candidate Arnold Cassola reiterated his commitment to raise the issue in the European Parliament.

The Green Party said the decrepit incinerator at St Luke’s hospital continued to plague residents living in the vicinity, despite several government commitments.

“Residents in the Pieta/ Guardamangia area are forced to put up with pollution from the old and ill-functioning incinerator.

“Like Mount Maghtab, the hospital incinerator is a monument to the incompetence of past Nationalist and Labour administrations in environmental matters. Voters should keep this in mind on 12 June,” said Professor Cassola.

Alternattiva said the incinerator saga exposed the incompetence of the government in dealing with the problem. AD said the Health Ministry had made a commitment to remove the incinerator by December 2001. “And according to Malta’s waste management strategy, the health care waste treatment facility at St Luke’s should have been upgraded by the end of 2002,” said Prof. Cassola. He said that unfortunately for residents, the company which was awarded the tender to supply the incinerator technology experienced difficulties and despite government reassurances that the company would commence work in October 2003, the company failed to deliver.

“It is a shame that the St Luke’s incinerator is still polluting this densely populated area. It is ironic that our hospital itself creates health problems due to pollution,” he said.

Prof. Cassola reiterated AD’s commitment to control air pollution.

“The health of our children is a priority for AD and the European Greens. The European Union, through its directives, will gradually improve the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan citizens, but much depends on enforcement and the initiative of the Maltese government,” he said.

AD will raise the issue in the European Parliament. “Unlike Nationalist MEPs, our role will not be that of covering up for the government. We will take a proactive role to defend local communities in EU institutions,” he said.

According to Friends of the Earth Europe, the Greens have voted in an environmentally friendly way in 99 per cent of all votes, he said. “On the other hand, EPP deputies have only done so only in 27 per cent of the cases,” concluded Prof. Cassola.