June 18, 2024 07:56
by EMILIO ERRIGO*
We could discuss who and why the activation and permanent storage of those mega hazardous waste landfills close to the Crotone beach, a few meters from the waters of the Esaro river, was authorised, in the 1980s; currently, however, in my opinion, it is a priority that the citizens and inhabitants of the city of Crotone demand, by right, that the million (a little more or a little less) of dangerous and non-hazardous waste be removed as soon as possible and in a technically safe way , from the beach in front of the sea of Crotone and which is disposed of in public or private landfills authorized by current international, European and national legislation, transposed and implemented following the rules, by the Calabria Region.
Solid and liquid waste treatment and delivery plants must be built in accordance with the law; they must be tested, certified, controlled and monitored for the health of the population residing or temporarily living in those places.
It must be understood that the treatment and purification plants for municipal, industrial and hospital liquid and solid waste, the thermo incinerators and valorisers, authorized and certified safe, present in the Italian territory, Calabria and Crotone, serve precisely this purpose; that of not leaving such materials unattended, abandoned in an uncontrolled and dangerous way for the environment and for those who live in that environment.
For the science of Circular Economy, waste does not exist, but only residues from industrial production processes and residues from consumption processes, to be valorised and transformed into sustainable energy by-products for environmental purposes for biodiversity and ecosystems.
Illegally creating micro or large uncontrolled deposits of urban and industrial solid waste, in the middle of agricultural land, on the edges of roadways, near the beach and river banks, is not an acceptable practice, worthy of people and civil societies.
Just as the sick must be treated and assisted in public and private healthcare and hospital facilities, liquid and solid, urban and industrial, dangerous and special waste, dangerous with and without Tenorm and Asbestos, must be disposed of in the treatment and disposal infrastructures. safe, authorized by law.
This should all seem obvious, but often it isn’t!
Everyone would like waste, residues from consumer food products and residual waste from entrepreneurial, corporate and industrial processes, to be transferred to places far from their home.
This effect, called “nimby”, a consequence of a natural psychological dissent of the human being to remove risks and dangers as far away as possible from one’s home and territory, must be balanced by asking this question: what to do with waste subject to separate collection, water contaminated urban and industrial waste produced in your territory?
Now we need to decide and think together, with a constructive spirit and for the exclusive good of the citizens of Crotone and the surrounding area, on what is or could be the alternative to the current systems of treatment, purification and disposal of residues from industrial, commercial, corporate, entrepreneurial, work, household, (so-called circular economic goods) to be valorised for the benefit of the environment, biodiversity and ecosystems to defend and guarantee future generations.
Is it better to contain the risk by placing it in authorized and controlled landfills or to leave, a stone’s throw from the sea, tons of dangerous waste which for decades, uncontrolled, has been contaminating ecosystems and damaging human health?
*Extraordinary Commissioner of the SIN Site of National Interest of Crotone-Cassano and Cerchiara di Calabria
