CROTONE The president of the Calabrian regional council, Roberto Occhiutohas decided to accept the request of the mayor of Crotone, Vincenzo Voce«to review the localization criterion of the pressure factor» and put it like this the constraint that should prevent the expansion of existing landfills and block the process for the construction of new waste disposal plants. In a note released today by the Municipality of Crotone we read that «the Region’s response to Mayor Voce’s request to review the “pressure factor” of the regional waste management plan arrived quickly by return post». The request was made by Voce in a letter sent to President Occhiuto on April 16th. In the letter Voce had highlighted to the President of the Region «the critical issues regarding the location factors of landfills» and had suggested that «it would be appropriate» to take into consideration the «areal pressure factor, which would avoid the danger of further and excessive concentrations of landfills in the city area».
The Columbra landfill and the risk of expansion
The initiative was taken to avoid that, during the reclamation activities, extensions of the building could be granted Columbra landfill, identified by Eni to dispose of the poisons present in the industrial area of the Pythagorean city. There is, in fact, a real risk that the space currently available in the Columbra landfill, owned by the Vrennas, may not be sufficient to dispose of all the poisons. In this case, without the constraints, it would be necessary to authorize an expansion and modification of the Cer code to dispose of Tenorms with asbestos matrix. An expansion which in Crotone is supposed to be greater than the quantity of poisons that Eni will have to dispose of. The danger would be represented, in this case, by the fact that in addition to the poisons from the industrial area of Crotone, others could arrive from every corner of Europe. Mainly to avoid this danger, fighting committees have been set up in Crotone which ask for compliance with the agreements signed at the Decision-making Services Conference held on 24 October 2019, which accepted the contents of the Paur. Eni questions the decision signed on 24 October 2019 and requests the modification of the Paur to be able to dispose of the poisons in Crotone. In the meantime, however, it has not started reclamation activities within the industrial site of the former Pertusola south to prevent heavy metals from continuing to descend and pollute the aquifers.
The Region’s response
In the press release from the Municipality of Crotone we read that «the response came signed by the head of cabinet of the Presidency of the Region, Dr. Luciano Vigna”, who in the note writes to the mayor that “his request to review the localization criterion of the pressure factor for waste landfills coincides with the regional government’s objectives of avoiding excessive concentration of such plants, limiting their related impacts, to protect the environment and public health. I therefore inform you that the competent departmental structure was given a mandate to initiate all studies and in-depth studies preparatory and necessary for the revision of the location criterion, providing for a pressure factor at an area level. It must provide an adequate guarantee of precaution against the onset of possible environmental and public health problems, consider the synergistic and cumulative effects of the environmental impact caused by the presence of multiple landfills, including abandoned ones, on each municipal territory, with particular attention to the Crotone area already subjected to strong environmental pressures, well known to the undersigned regional administration, correctly highlighted in its letter”. Crotone is not only affected by the ax of reclamation. There are, in fact, procedures and appeals that could end with the authorization of new landfills (see Maio project in Giammiglione).
Voice: «News of extraordinary importance»
«This is news of extraordinary importance for our city – commented Voce – which supports what we had highlighted not only in the recent note sent to the region but in a battle in which I am involved as an environmentalist before becoming mayor». «I thank the President of the Region for the great sensitivity shown on a topic of vital importance such as the protection of the environment and the health of citizens and which confirms his attention towards the city of Crotone», concludes Voce. Now we need to understand the time needed to make the areal pressure factor operational and whether the Region’s announcement will be taken into account in the services conference convened in Rome for next May 3rd. The Region, however, has changed its tune, because it had recently eliminated the pressure factor that had been introduced by the Council led by Mario Oliverio. What pushed Occhiuto to make the decision is difficult to say. Certainly among the reasons there is the fact that you intend to protect the population of Crotone, but it cannot be ruled out that there are also political calculations. The dialogue that opened between the mayor of Crotone and president Occhiuto is now dated. When Occhiuto came to Crotone to participate in the provincial congress of Forza Italia he went to the town hall to greet Voce. ([email protected])
