Air monitoring stations located in line with EU directive - Mepa
The four air monitoring stations which determine the concentration levels of most air pollutants every 15 minutes are located in accordance and as regulated by the EU directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said.
It said in a statement that the directive clearly regulated the minimum number and siting of fixed air monitoring stations in each member state.
The authority denied that air monitoring stations were ‘placed incorrectly’ and not giving data of the real situation as alleged by the non-governmental organisation Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħar, Friends of the Earth and Ramblers’ Association.
Mepa, which is the competent authority responsible for the monitoring of air pollution in ambient outdoor air and for coordinating policy measures, said it also based the siting of the stations - three in Malta and one in Gozo, upon the recommendations made in a report prepared by consultants Stacey and Bush, who, in 2002, were appointed by the government to carry out a preliminary assessment of air quality in Malta.
The authority was also guided by the macroscale siting criteria of the Ambient Air Quality Directive.
It said that for these reasons and logistical purposes, it sited the traffic station in Msida, the urban background station in Zejtun, the station influenced by the plume of the Marsa Power Station at the Corradino Industrial Estate and the background site in the Malta zone in Gharb.
The authority also carries out air quality monitoring through diffusion tube network which was introduced in 2004 for a better spatial coverage over the Maltese Islands. This network includes 44 localities amounting to 131 monitoring sites in Malta and Gozo. All air monitoring results are publicly available on Mepa’s website.
Mepa said it was in the National interest that Malta had reported to the European Commission the outcome of scientific studies which clearly showed that 22 out of the 52 exceedances registered by the Msida station in 2008, were attributable to natural causes.
The authority was not trying to make any kind of excuses or ‘taking the easy way out’ but needed to notify the Commission that certain exceedances were the cause of natural and transboundary sources for which Malta had no control. The methodology applied for deducting these natural and trasboundary sources, was as suggested and regulated by the European Commission.
Mepa said it was still committed to implement the Air Quality Plan for the Maltese Islands which outlined policy measures to address man-made pollution sources, namely in the transport, power generation, construction and small industry sectors.
The authority this year also secured over €4.9 million to finance a project that would radically improving the national environmental monitoring capacity in five environmental themes – air, water, radiation, noise, and soil.
Last month, the authority launched a new environmental permitting system for all the quarries in Malta and Gozo to increase the standards of environment compliance within the industry that would include addressing the problems of high dust levels these plants generated.
The authority remained totally committed to ensure that air quality in Malta was clean. It would continue with its efforts to minimise the impact that human activity constituted towards the deterioration of air quality through measures that were based on sustainable concepts and practices.
07.07.2010
Times of Malta
Comments
Kenneth J. Borg
MEPA quotes a 2002 report by consultants Stacey and Bush. Is there any background information about these consultants? A google search only brings up two MEPA links citing the same report, and today's Times of Malta article.
George Debono
The basic question raised here is what is being given priority ? - keeping the feedback to the EU within their air quality limits - OR the health of people?
1) The high incidence of asthma in Malta is already indicative that something is wrong.
2) The results at Floraina were appalling. There were some enormously high peak concentrations of particulates (up to 300 μ/m³) during morning rush-hour periods thus proving that the particulates originated from traffic ONLY and NOT from sea spray and Sahara dust. These results speak volumes.
3) Why was the monitoring station moved to Msida where things don't look so bad?
4) . The limit of particulate concentration at Floriana had already been exceeded on 37 days during a monitoring period of 99 days.
5) These findings are all the more worrying because the findings were recorded during the cooler wnter months of the year with lower ambient dust levels because of rain etc.
6) Something must be wrong - It is impossible that the air monitoring stations do not pick up the huge quantity of particulates in the BLACK SMOKE being emitted by most of our DENSE diesel traffic.
RE….."Mepa said it was still committed to implement the Air Quality Plan for the Maltese Islands which outlined policy measures to address man-made pollution sources, namely in the transport, power generation, construction and small industry sectors"
Sorry, but:
1) For every problem a "Report" (often costing tens of thousands liri/euros) or a "Plan" is drawn up and then NOTHING happens. Also the fashion is now to ask for 'public consultation' but suggestions are disregarded. These plans and reports come & go unnoticed like ships in the night - and that's it. Nothing happens.
2) One immediate solution is staring everybody in the face (including politicians AND the police) that is to ACT on Buses and heavy transport smoke emitters. Bur NOTHING is being done. What is all this nonsense about "being committed" when there is total disregard for such a blatant threat to health. Why wait for a "report" !!!! ???
3) Why is our Health Department so unconcerned when there is scientific proof of the harm being done.?
For those who are worried : read the think tank report: Towards a Low Carbon Society - the Nation's Health, Energy Security and Fossil Fuels. (download from
http://www.tppi.org.mt/cms/index.php/reports .)