The presence of the Green Party on Lija local council will be dedicated to addressing long-standing air pollution issues in the village, Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson, Dr Harry Vassallo said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference in Lija, Dr Vassallo said that an AD councillor would ensure fresher and cleaner air in Lija.

“Older residents will recall that dust pollution from the Blokrete factory has been a major issue for many decades. The trees near the Lija cemetery still turn white with dust for the summer recalling the White Dust case campaign on the matter in the 1960s. Sand is still stored in a manner that causes the pollution in spite of all changes in legislation,” Dr Vassallo said.

“It is intolerable that fines for traffic offences are inflicted with the greatest of ease but major environmental threats to whole communities persist unchecked for decades,” Dr Vassallo said.

“Coupled with the loss of many gardens in the area and constantly increasing traffic, the quality of air in Lija continues to deteriorate rapidly. It is time to quantify these losses scientifically, to inform residents fully and to address the issue effectively,” Dr Vassallo added.

Edward Fenech, AD's candidate for Lija in the upcoming round of local council elections said that in a matter affecting the health and quality of life of residents, no tolerance can be allowed in the lack of enforcement of existing laws nor in avoiding the relatively small expense needed to document the situation scientifically.

“Residents need to know and have a right to know about the quality of the air they breathe. They also have a right to effective remedies to address sources of pollution,” Mr Fenech said.