Watch: San Ġwann, Iklin And Naxxar Families Living ‘In Shadow Of Toxic Fumes Factory’ Turn To Parliament For Help
A parliamentary petition calling on authorities to step in as dozens of families complain of “toxic fumes” being poured into their homes during the night for years has been launched.
Beyond the regular “unbearable” smell of the fumes, families fear they are slowly being poisoned – with few protections in place to safeguard their health.
“I am a resident of Iklin, Malta, living in the shadow of Bitmac LTD’s operations,” the petition’s reator, Dorian Xuereb, said.
“Every day, my community and I are subjected to toxic fumes that not only degrade our quality of life but also pose serious health risks. This is especially true for those among us with respiratory problems who find their conditions exacerbated by the relentless pollution.”
Families have long been complaining about fumes being produced by the asphalt factory, situated in the Tal-Balal area, with some families telling Lovin Malta that a number of members developed asthmatic symptoms.
Worse still, petitioners note that legislation is currently far from adequate enough to protect their air quality and ensure clean air is provided to Maltese people.
Other parents complained of their children developing sore throats in the area; petitioners pointed out that there are three schools in the vicinity of the plant: St Michael’s Senior School, Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary and San Ġwann Primary School.
Mater Dei Hospital is just a bit further away, just two kilometres distance away.
Comparing the fumes to asbestos, petitioners said that they had serious concerns over whether carcinogenic materials were being emitted into Maltese air.
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You can find the petition by following this link.
“The lack of environmental and health permits allows them to emit harmful substances into our air unchecked,” Xuereb continued. “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to chronic respiratory diseases as well as other non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and stroke.”
“We are calling on our government not just for ourselves but also for future generations who will inherit this land we call home. We must ensure they have clean air to breathe and a safe environment in which they can thrive.”
They maintain that they’ve raised this issue for two years to the Environment and Health Ministries – yet little has been done.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, a Health Ministry spokesperson said that tests taken found low levels of benzene in the area, and as such authorities couldn’t force any drastic changes to the plant until harm is proven to have occurred as a result of their operations.
“The concerns about emissions from the Bitmac tarmac factory have already been raised by the Environmental Health Directorate (EHD) with ERA since the EHD’s remit, is to investigate any reports brought to its attention showing health grievances as a result of emissions,” they said.
“To date, EHD has not received reports showing adverse medical effects from emissions on residents’ health. Should such reports be presented, the Directorate will be able to formally investigate and take further legal action.”
An Environment Ministry spokesperson similarly told Lovin Malta that little can be done at this stage until harm can be proven.
Lovin Malta has repeatedly reached out to Bitmac Ltd and received no response.
Have you been affected by these fumes? Speak to Lovin Malta in confidence by contacting us at [email protected]
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