Updated: Cars damaged by Palumbo works, residents claim

(Adds Palumbo's reply) About 150 Cospicua residents’ cars are covered in a fine dust-like layer of “white paint” which, they are claiming coated their vehicles when a large Italian ship was sprayed at the Palumbo shipyard. This morning the residents took their cars to the Cospicua police station where a court-appointed expert assessed the damage to the cars. They were also asked to get an estimate of the damages which they expect Palumbo to cover. Mayor Joseph Scerri told timesofmalta.com that he had informed police and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority that Palumbo was not respecting regulations on grit blasting. This was only meant to take place in Dock 6, however, the Italian ship was grit blasting in another dock. Mr Scerri added that, according to regulations, Palumbo should not carry out works when the wind blew in the direction of residences. However, over the past days this regulation had been ignored. Residents present outside the police station said that their cars were damaged over the past three days when workers at the shipyards started using a white paint on the Italian ship. Palumbo said when contacted that the shipyard was working to understand the...