Of the 23 championship points along the coasts of Liguria by the volunteers of Legambiente, 11 were found to be heavily polluted or polluted. These, in summary, are the data released this morning by Goletta Verde of Legambiente during the press conference held in Genoa in the presence of Federica BarberaSpokesperson for Goletta Verde, Stephen Bigliazzi, President of Legambiente Liguria, Michele Solari of Barchelettrichesrl, Claudio Oliva, Director Genova Blue District, Davide D’Arena, Arpal bathing monitoring coordinator, Maurizio ArcidiaconoCONOU responsible for North-West Area Coordination, e Frederick Borromeo, Director of Legambiente Liguria.
23 points in total, distributed across the provinces of Imperia, Savona, Genoa and La Spezia, 10 the samples taken in mouth of rivers and canals, 13 those taken the sea. Of the 11 samples were found to be outside the legal limits to microbiological analyzes carried out by laboratories in the area, a 6 the judgment of was assigned polluteda 5 that ofheavily pollutedas established by Legambiente for samples that exceed the regulatory limits by more than double.
“The monitoring data of Goletta Verde in Liguria once again highlights the difficulties of our country regarding water purification – declares Federica Barbera, Spokesperson for Goletta Verde. We are concerned about the sampling done in Monterosso a Mare and that it was found to be heavily polluted, and we hope that a territory as virtuous as that of the Cinque Terre, works to find the causes of this result and implements the necessary interventions. Let us not forget that there are 4 infringement procedures that weigh on Italy for the failure to comply with the Waste Water Directive; the last one is still in the preliminary investigation phase, the first three have already resulted in a conviction and in particular the first, dating back to 2004, has led to a pecuniary sanction. From an economic point of view, the Our country Italy has already paid fines for over 142 million euros”.
“As has been happening for years now, the results of the sampling at The mouths of Ligurian rivers show constant critical issues in the water purification system – declares Stefano Bigliazzi, President of Legambiente LiguriaThe problem must be solved upstream: make the purification system more efficient to ensure that these critical issues are resolved. We must also better signal, with specific signs, the ban on bathing in the mouths, because even during our sampling we saw many citizens bathe in waters that should be closed to bathingand this is a risk to people’s health.”
Goletta Verde during its stop in Liguria also organized a blitz in front of the island of Palmaria displaying during navigation the banner “Hands off Palmaria”. Enough concrete, enough speculation. The island of Palmaria needs a model that puts its environmental, historical and cultural vocations at the center”.
The detail of the Goletta Verde analysis
Goletta Verde’s sampling is not intended to replace official data on bathing suitability but rather complements the work carried out by the competent authorities. If, in fact, the Arpa data are the only ones that determine the bathing suitability of a stretch of coast following repeated analyzes in the summer period, the Goletta Verde analyzes instead have another objective which is to identify the critical issues due to poor or absent wastewater purification in specific points, such as mouths, canals and waterways, the main vehicles with which this type of pollution reaches the sea.
Samplings on the Ligurian coast were carried out from 17 to 19 June 2024.
In the province of Imperia there are 6 withdrawal points. The sample taken at mouth of the Santa Caterina stream in the municipality of Santo Stefano al Mare it was found to be ““Heavily polluted”. Polluted those taken in Ventimiglia near the mouth of the Roja river and in Sanremo the beach facing the San Romolo stream. Within the limits samples taken at sea, near the mouth of the Nervia torrent, in Arma di Taggia the mouth of the Argentina torrent and in Diano Marina the mouth of the San Pietro torrent.
5 samples were taken in the province of Savona: outside the limits the points at the mouth of the Maremola torrent, in Pietra Ligure,which resulted heavily polluted, the sample taken at the mouth of the Centa river in Albenga and the one at the mouth of the Pora river in Finale Ligure were both polluted. Within the limits the sample taken from the sea, near lat the mouth of the canal on the Diaz 161 seafront in Ceriale and the one at the mouth of the Quiliano torrent, still in Finale Ligure.
In the province of Genova 6 samples were taken, of these there are out of bounds that to the mouth of the Nervi torrentwhich resulted polluted, heavily polluted the points atsea near Rio San Siro in Santa Margherita Ligure and at the mouth of the Entella stream, the Blackboard. Within the limits the withdrawal at the Sbolgi pier in Bogliasco, the one on the sea near the Recco stream, in Reccoand always to sea near the Petronio stream, in Riva Trigoso.
Finally, there are 6 points collected in the province of Spice. Heavily polluted the sample taken in canal that passes under Piazza Garibaldi in Monterosso a Marewhich flows into the sea, and instead it turned out polluted the sample taken from the sea, near the unloading under the lookout in Manarola, Riomaggiore. Within the limits the samples taken at sea, near the mouth of the canal under the steps on the Venere Azzura beach in Lerici, the sea at the height of the historic triangle of Marinella di Sarzana, at the Fiumaretta beach in Ameglia and the sample taken at mouth of the Rio Corniglia in Vernazza.
Purification remains one of the sore points in our country, with 910 agglomerations for which non-compliance with the requirements of the Waste Water Directive was detected (91/271/CE). According to the latest available data from MASE (December 2023) In Liguria there are still 9 agglomerations in infringement proceedings (Andora, Diano Marina, Alassio, Albenga, Arenzano, Sestri Levante, Lavagna, Rapallo and Riva Trigoso) with a total load generated equal to 240,700 equivalent inhabitants.
