For sixteen years, part of Naples’ waste has been sent to German incinerators via the Brenner railway, at a cost of 200 thousand euros per day. For hours and hours the garbage trains park five kilometers from Trento, infesting the surrounding area of the Trentino city with fumes and flies. A shame that violates all the fundamental principles established for the management of urban waste at community and national level. According to Eurostat (latest data available), in 2020 Italy exported almost 529 thousand tonnes of waste from waste treatment, equal to 25% of the total shipped across the border by all EU member states
◆ Comment by GIANFRANCO AMENDOLA
► A few days ago the newspaper “L’Adige” reported this news: “Trains loaded with Neapolitan rubbish for Germany, stopped in Gardolo: flies and unbearable stench”recalling that since 2008 a part of the waste produced in Naples has been sent, via the Brenner railway, to German incinerators costing 200,000 euros per day. And that, during the long journey, these trains stop for hours and hours at the Gardolo intermodal yard (5 km from Trento), with the result, when the heat comes, of filling the surroundings with fumes (and flies). So much so that the authorities were forced to ask for it moving the stopping point and agreeing on an extraordinary cleaning of the tracks with the simultaneous disinfestation of larvae.
We’ll see if these remedies will bring any improvements for next summer. The fact remains, however, that it is, in any case, about a shame that violates all the fundamental principles established for the management of urban waste at community and national level. That is, as a rule, it is necessary to implement self-sufficiency and respect the principle of proximity therefore, to avoid dangers to health and the environment, waste must move as little as possible from the place of production (no to “waste tourism”). And this also applies to municipal waste subject to separate collection intended for recycling or recovery. So much so that every exception must be limited and motivated from the point of view of environmental protection; demonstrating, that is, that there are no better possible alternatives. AND even more so if it involves the import or export of waste for which the restrictions are even greater and it is necessary to resort to the prior written notification and authorization procedure.
Yet, according to the latest available data from Eurostatin 2020 Italy exported almost 529 thousand tons of waste from waste treatment, equal to 25% of the total shipped across the border by all EU member states, classifying them with a code (191212) which, according to the ruling of the European Court of Justice (CJEC) of 11 November 2021, does not legitimize such movements at all if, as often happens in Italy, the proof that they have received a truly effective treatment. And therefore – concludes the ECJ – «on the basis of community legislation, their management must respect the principles of self-sufficiency and proximity which require them to be treated in the plant as close as possible to the place where they are produced, to limit their transport as much as possible; with the obvious corollary that… it is completely legitimate to oppose their export». However, for 16 years everything has continued as before. It’s truly a national disgrace! © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
