The fact that the Marsa power station has been running on low sulphur content fuel since April of last year, and that the idea of a new power station running on more eco-friendly liquid natural gas has been floated, have provided little solace for residents of Marsa, who continue to suffer the detrimental effects of pollution from the power station in their backyard.

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, Marsa mayor Francis Debono insists that little improvement has been seen since the changeover to low sulphur fuel. “There has been a lot of talk, but the people of Marsa are still suffering the same problems as always,” he explains. “Over the last week, in fact, people have been waking up to find their cars and balconies covered in black ash. This is the same problem we have been facing for years.

“With all the talk these days about the environment, such as the recent debate over the Marsascala waste recycling plant, the question of what is to be done about the Marsa power station still remains.”

As part of its EU membership obligations, the Marsa power station has to meet EU environmental standards or face the prospect of being permanently phased out. To meet these standards, low sulphur content fuel has been introduced and a shift in production load to the Delimara power station is also said to have been taken in hand.

Although improvements have been noted on paper, such measures, according to Mr Debono, have simply not been enough. The incidence of asthma and other respiratory problems resulting from the power station emissions, coupled with emissions from the heavy traffic on the nearby 13 December Road, is still high and residents of the area are still gravely concerned.

Speaking to Marsa residents, one hears the same grievances time and time again – breathing problems, asthma, particularly among children, and allergic reactions rank highest, followed by the large amount of dust collecting in homes and on cars.

One resident, representative of the overall sentiment, explains that she suffers from “frequent high fevers, asthma and sinuses from the power station pollution. More worryingly, it is not only the adults being affected. It seems that at least half the children of Marsa are suffering from asthma, including newborns. I have four and five-year-old cousins who have asthma. There is black dust everywhere.”

While complaints of power station pollution rank high among those living in the wider Marsa area, also topping the list, particularly among those living in Albert Town, is the overpowering stench emanating from the abattoir – both from its smokestack and from skips loaded with carcasses being left exposed in the facility’s courtyard.

When the Delimara power station was proposed in the 1980s, the government promised the eventual decommissioning of the Marsa power station – a development that appears increasingly unlikely, given the rising demand for electricity and the fact that the Marsa facility still provides the Island with most of its power.

“Now, 20 years later, the lie is exposed,” comments Mr Debono.

The potential good news is that in June of this year, Enemalta received three tenders to carry out modifications to render the Marsa power station’s boiler more environmentally friendly and to meet EU emission standards. The project, partly funded by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund, provides for the upgrading of the present boiler burners with a view to reducing emissions to an acceptable standard.

When the health problems of Marsa, Fgura, Paola and Tarxien became recognised, Mr Debono adds, the authorities pledged that the problem would be addressed. While pollution from the Delimara power station is, for the most part, blown out to sea by the wind, the areas of Marsa, Paola, Tarxien and Fgura are in the direct line of emissions from the Marsa plant.

However, Mr Debono notes a certain degree of apathy when such complaints are brought to the attention of the authorities.

“There was a transitional period for the power station to meet with EU standards, but now, some two years since membership, the local council has not been informed or consulted in any way about the modernisation or phasing out of the power station.

“It is always the same excuses. Sometimes they attack the council because of its Labour majority. When we ask them what improvements are to be made to the power station, all they say is that there has been a change in fuel from coal to oil, as though they have done us a favour.”

That, Mr Debono insists, is not enough for the 7,000 or so residents of Marsa – a figure that rises to 10,000, taking into consideration the number of workers in the area, many of whom have also lodged complaints over the health risks associated with spending their working hours in Marsa.

Approaching Marsa in the early hours of many mornings, one notes a distinctive haze hanging over the entire area and while blow-outs from the chimneys are not often seen by day, they are frequent under the cover of night, Mr Debono adds.

“The question is whether we are gong to modernise the power station. An old car has to pass an emissions test. Has the power station passed an emissions test? What is the next step?”he asks.