LAWN. To trigger the controversy, the word is enough: waste-to-energy plant. The term with which for some years it has been decided to call those that were previously defined as incinerators, because it is less scary, is a guarantee of political clash, such as the one triggered by the words spoken on Friday by Forza Italia MP Erica Mazzetti during the meeting with the minister of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin at the Confindustria headquarters («I am convinced that a new generation waste-to-energy plant should be created as soon as possible to treat the residual fraction of waste so as to have more energy and reduce emissions»).
Open up heaven. From the left, despite the outgoing mayor Matteo Biffoni having already declared himself in favor of the construction of a waste-to-energy plant in unsuspecting times, the attacks have started. But surprisingly, MP Mazzetti was also shot by the “friendly fire” of the centre-right mayoral candidate Gianni Cenni. «In my electoral program there is no mention of a waste-to-energy plant – writes Cenni – I say it directly, clearly, simply: it is a non-existent, non-existent, absent hypothesis». Gianni Cenni, center-right candidate for mayor of Prato, clears away any type of supposition and firmly underlines that he has never taken into consideration the possibility, even a remote one, of building a waste-to-energy plant in the area. “The Democratic Party knows well, or at least should know, that the responsibility for the plants lies with the Region and should also be aware of the fact that Alia is designing the gasifier in the Livorno area for the entry of 250 thousand tons of non-sortable waste.” And her competitor Ilaria Bugetti, candidate for mayor of the centre-left, did not miss the opportunity to twist the knife in the wound. «We are astonished to witness the internal contradictions within the centre-right, which exploded this time on the issue of the incinerator – he comments – Perhaps an internal discussion would have been appropriate prior to the choice of the name to be nominated as mayor of the city».
«In less than 24 hours the center-right of Prato managed to launch the proposal to build an incinerator in the city and to take it back immediately afterwards – attacks the provincial secretary of the Democratic Party Marco Biagioni – An embarrassing about-face which highlights a total inability of government. I wonder with what seriousness and attention they are working on the program if, on such a delicate issue as the waste cycle, they manage to express two diametrically opposed political lines. And I ask myself: from here on out which program should we believe in, the one dictated from Rome by the Honorable Mazzetti or that of Gianni Cenni?”.
In the background there is perhaps also some discontent that goes beyond the incinerator issue, after Forza Italia in Vernio had decided to support a former PD candidate like Marco Ciani instead of the mayoral candidate sponsored by the Brothers of Italy and the League, Marco Curcio . «The right in Prato is reaching unattainable levels – said PD deputy Marco Furfaro before learning of the about-face – Now the latest is the arrival from Rome of a minister unknown to most to explain to us how to create a circular economy. How tender. It’s a shame, if we had known before we would have taught Mazzetti and Pichetto Fratin something about the ability of a city like ours, unlike the government, to intercept European funds, build production chains based on recycling, jobs, cutting-edge environmental sustainability projects in Europe”.
Erica Mazzetti’s reply was not long in coming. «My colleague Marco Furfaro has my understanding – he joked – It’s not easy to understand a territory that you don’t know and that you live like he does, spot on, having to get by in progressive TV lounges». But now she will have to explain it to Gianni Cenni.
According to Jonathan Targetti, candidate for mayor with the Targettopoli list «we must rather aim for a new “zero waste” economic and social system. How? By eliminating waste incineration and structuring a collection system that further increases the quantity of differentiable material, decreasing the quantity of waste produced, rewarding virtuous citizens with a timely waste tariff, encouraging the reuse of recycled material and supporting the production of totally recyclable products.”
