Snam Sulmona shipyard, citizen committees for the environment: “A fundamental requirement is missing”

SULMONA – The citizens’ environmental committees are once again talking about the Snam construction site in Sulmona, pointing out that after more than a year the completion of the “ante operam” requirements for the road is still missing. In a press release they state:

“We have written and said it in every way: THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OPENED BY SNAM FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SULMONA POWER PLANT IS ILLEGAL, but no authority has so far intervened. If what we have been claiming for over a year was false we should have been denied or reported, but this did not happen. There is absolute silence on the matter, both on the part of public institutions and Snam.

Yet the EIA Decree of 7 March 2011 (to be considered, moreover, largely lapsed based on a ruling of the Council of State in 2020) leaves no room for doubt: the environmental compatibility of the compressor station and the Sulmona – Foligno methane pipeline has been released “on the condition” that, before the start of the works, 22 requirements were carried out.

But on 1 March 2023, when Snam set up its construction site in Case Pente to start work on the power plant, almost none of the “ante operam” requirements had been fulfilled. What seems even more incredible is that, almost 14 months after the opening of the construction site, the fulfillment of these requirements has not yet been completed.

The confirmation came directly from the VIA Committee of the Abruzzo Region which met yesterday to examine some requirements relating to the methane pipeline. On this occasion the VIA Committee announced thatas regards the power plant, the fulfillment of a fundamental requirement is still missing, that relating to the Environmental Monitoring Project.

The representatives of the citizens’ environmental committees, who took part in the meeting as auditors, had the following statement recorded in the minutes: “We are surprised that, more than a year after the opening of the construction site of the Snam power plant in the Case Pente area of ​​Sulmona, all the pre-construction requirements have not yet been fulfilled; this continues to represent an open violation of the VIA Decree no. 70 of 7 March 2011. Therefore, the so-called ‘start of works’ by Snam on 1 March 2023 is confirmed as a useless ploy to try to avoid the forfeiture of the authorization to build; authorization which, in accordance with the law, having not been extended, ceased its effects on 7 March 2023. In our opinion, since the authorization to build ceased, the VIA Decree which constitutes its fundamental prerequisite also ceased. Consequently, it is not possible to proceed with the examination of the requirements. We reserve every possible action to respect the law.”

The representatives of the Committees also reiterated that the Case Pente site is incompatible with the Snam power plant due to its high naturalistic and landscape value, as well as its historical and archaeological relevance. Furthermore, the area, as shown by a specific report by the Maiella Park, is a feeding site and wildlife corridor for the Marsican brown bear, therefore the plant is in open conflict with the protection of this species at very high risk of extinction.

Faced with this blatant illegality that we continue to denounce, will any of the relevant bodies finally intervene? And our institutional representatives, elected by citizens to enforce the laws, have nothing to say?”. Thus the citizen committees for the environment.