Labour MP and environment spokesperson Leo Brincat has accused the Nationalist government of taking residents from the areas of Marsa, Paola, Fgura and Tarxien for a ride over the recurring problem of black dust in the area.
Brincat said the problem has been rearing its head for the past 10 years, despite assurances from parliamentary secretary Mario Demarco, who was answering for the prime minister in parliament, that specimens of the black dust were being collected in a bid to determine their source.
Brincat said that in previous parliamentary questions back in 1999 and 2000, the then environment minister Francis Zammit Dimech had not only instructed the environmental protection department to investigate the origin of the black dust, but also committed to a plan of action to tackle the problem.
“An English firm, AEA Technology Ltd, was mentioned back in February 2000, to prepare a monitoring study. A report was scheduled for September 2000, which cost Lm6,600,” Brincat said.
“It was nine years ago that the PN government had promised it would do its utmost in solving this problem. Dr Demarco is misleading the House in giving the impression that the black dust is a new phenomenon that should be re-examined anew. While Enemalta denies its power station in Marsa is the source of the dust, Dr Demarco was not in a position to confirm this or not. And according to its generation plan, Enemalta has already stated that installing pollution control equipment in the Marsa power station was not economically viable,” Brincat said.
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