«It was not easy to talk about your health and family problems, your worries, in a courtroom. But it had to be done, though raise awareness of the risks to which the community is exposed, due to the presence of Pfas in every aspect of daily life“, He says Cristina Cola, spokesperson for the Mamme NoPfas group. Many have joined the civil action in the trial underway at the Court of Assizes of Vicenza to ascertain responsibility for the pollution of water by perfluoroalkyl substances, the endocrine disruptors responsible for serious pathologies (read the interview with the endocrinologist Luca Chiovato at the link: https://www.vita.it/lendocrinologo-cosi-i-pfas-avvelenano-il-nostro-corpo/), between the provinces of Vicenza, Verona and Padua. «Beyond the pathologies, we explained what it feels like knowing you have foreign substances in your body, knowing that our children have them. These are difficult thoughts to bear and to share».
Awareness
The contamination of the aquifer, which affects a catchment area of 350 thousand people, has distant roots. Rimar, an acronym for Ricerche Marzotto, was founded in 1965 in Trissino, in the province of Vicenza, which produces chemical substances used to waterproof fabrics and leather: they are the precursors of Pfas. In 1988 the company was acquired by Enichem and Mitsubishi and was renamed Miteni. In 2009 it was taken over, at the incredible price of 1 euro, by the International Chemical Investors Group – ICIG, given that the real cost would have been that of environmental remediation. From the investigations of the Ecological Operational Unit – Noe of Treviso, it emerged that several times, between 1990 and 2009, Miteni had assessed the state of pollution of the site and looked for possible solutions to contain the pollution, without however ever communicating the results of the own investigations to the competent bodies.
Only in 2013, a study carried out by the Cnr and Arpa Veneto for the Ministry of the Environment brought to light the news of the pollution. And in 2014 the Higher Institute of Health – ISS set limits for the first time for perfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. «At that time, the problem was not known. The family doctors themselves and healthcare staff were unprepared to respond to patients’ doubts. Doctor Vincenzo Cordiano, who warned of health dangers, was subjected to disciplinary proceedings. And we environmentalistswhich we tried to create opportunities to explore in depth together with Doctors for the Environment – Isde, we were accused of alarmism”, says the lawyer Enrico Varali, defender of Legambiente and one of the founders of the Perla Blu club of Cologna Venetacivil parties in the Vicenza trial.
Moms on the field
When, with the health surveillance plan undertaken by the Veneto Region, very high values of PFAS were found in the blood of children in the red zone, the most contaminated, the mothers reacted and, from below, a large citizen movement was formed demanding clean water and justice. «In August 2018 we organized a demonstration in front of the Vicenza Prosecutor’s Office, to encourage magistrates to continue investigations and open criminal proceedings”, recalls Cristina Cola. «We took turns, there were many of us and many brought us food and drink to support us. People supported us, we didn’t feel alone. We were demonstrating that there was an interest on the part of the population in getting to the bottom of things and ascertaining responsibilities».
A few weeks later, the Prosecutor’s Office requested the indictment of fifteen managers of Miteni, which had just been declared bankrupt, ICIG and Mitsubishi for crimes of environmental pollution, water poisoning and unnamed environmental disaster, as well as for bankruptcy crimes.
«As mothers, we have decided to form a civil party. It was the only way to be an active part of the proceedings. We have done fundraising campaigns to pay legal fees and consultants. For many of us it has been and continues to be a great commitment, which takes time away from work and family, but we do it because it is our duty. And it is right that we, the most contaminated, we make ourselves available to science so that the consequences of these substances in the human organism can be studied», continues Cola. Among the mothers’ consultants, the professor was also called Philippe Grandjean, of the University of Southern Denmark, one of the leading Pfas experts in the world. «What we have understood, in recent years, is that we are the ones who have to take care of our territory, because the authorities in charge do not always do so. I believe that this awareness has also grown on a general level.” But awareness initiatives continue, so as not to diminish interest in the problem: recently mothers found themselves in the squares bringing stalls of flowers and plants. «It’s a way of saying we’re still here. There is a need to be seen, to continue to fight invisible, colorless, odorless and tasteless substances. Ours is a fight that is not newsworthy, also because it goes against the interests of the industry.”
Waiting for the sentence
The first instance ruling could arrive within the year. If the pollution and the place from which it originated are not in dispute, the defendants’ defense points to the fact that they would not have been aware of the dangers of PFAS and the lack of limits in the waters until a few years ago. «We have achieved that not only the responsibility of managers is assessed, but also that of companies, which certainly have the financial resources to respond to such pervasive environmental damage. It’s already a great result”, comments Varali. «We are faced with one of the most important cases of environmental pollution in Italy, because it affects a very large number of people: those served by the aquifer, but potentially also all those affected by the agri-food chain».
Varali observes that, within a few years, the Pfas affair has increased awareness and strength in civil society in dealing with environmental problems. In fact, if the process started, it was thanks to the pressure of public opinion. And in recent years, scientific studies and publications have multiplied. The question of who pays for the site’s cleanup remains open, after Miteni’s bankruptcy.
Episode no. 2
The photos are taken from the Facebook group Mamme NoPfas
