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New York Times
09-02-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Court Ruling Gives Hope for Cleanup in Italy's ‘Land of Fires'
Until a few days ago, Antonietta Moccia, a 61-year-old housewife, had little hope that the Italian authorities would ever tackle the illegal waste disposal that had long plagued her town and others just north of Naples. Her daughter was diagnosed with a rare cancer at age 5 in an area where clusters of cancers have been linked to pollution. But her years of marches, sit-ins and comforting neighbors whose lives were upended by the untimely deaths of loved ones had yielded little. Case in point, she nodded to a mound of garbage — construction debris, sundry objects and plastic bags stuffed with varied refuse — piled along a dusty back street in Acerra, her hometown. 'We need less talk, more action,' she said. 'There's been talk for years.' Recently, the European Court of Human Rights let it be known that it felt much the same. The court based in Strasbourg, France, found that the Italian authorities had long been aware of the illegal dumping in an area colloquially known as 'the land of fires' because of the persistent burning of toxic waste. But it said that local and national authorities had repeatedly failed to act. The court cited a 1997 report to Parliament that said the dumping had been going on since at least 1988. 'Progress had been glacial,' seven judges ruled unanimously, saying that residents had been denied their 'right to life.' It ordered the government to take immediate action and report back in two years. Residents and environmental activists said they hoped the decision would finally break the logjam of inaction to clean up one of the poorest areas of Italy, where some three million people are scattered among 90 municipalities. An ongoing study by Italy's top heath authorities found in a 2023 report that the mortality rate for people in this part of Campania was 9 percent higher than the rest of the region. People had a greater chance of dying from malignant tumors (10 percent higher) or circulatory system diseases (7 percent higher), and in some cases the statistics were stark: Instances of liver tumors in women were 31 percent higher. 'We hope there will be a jolt of consciences in all Italian politicians,' said Enrico Fontana, who monitors environment and legality for Legambiente, Italy's largest environmental group. 'The hope is that this landmark ruling will trigger a real national unity with a national strategy that sees forces on every level react together to solve the problem.' The case involved complaints by scores of residents seeking to know whether Italy had violated Article 2 of the Convention of Human Rights, the right to life, by failing to clean up the mess, and whether the Italian authorities had also violated people's right to information about the pollution in the area. Another 4,700 citizens have filed complaints in Strasbourg concerning the same issues, and those cases could move forward should Italy fail to prepare an overall strategy within the two-year deadline set by the court. The Strasbourg case drew on the findings of several parliamentary commissions, scientific studies, reports by environmental groups and the opinions of experts, showing that the area had willfully been allowed to become a dumping ground. Manufacturers in Italy, and beyond, experts said, cut secret deals with the Camorra, as the local mafia is known, to illegally dispose of hazardous waste for a fraction of the cost of legal disposal. By burying the waste in its backyard, the Camorra could ensure a measure of protection, and silence. 'It's what is known as a sacrifice area, a vulnerable, low-income, low-education community that was already struggling' socially and economically, said Marco Armiero, an expert in political ecology who weighed in on the case for the court. The opening of an incinerator in Acerra in 2009 'added insult to injury to an already contaminated community' and brought no relief to toxic waste management, he said in telephone interview. As a result, he added, 'these communities don't trust the institutions much anymore.' Rebuilding trust could only come from doing the court's bidding, he said. The European court gave Rome two years to draft a 'comprehensive strategy' to address the situation, including the decontamination of areas where toxic waste had been buried and burned. It calls for Italy to set up 'an independent monitoring mechanism and a public information platform' for residents. The court found that 'it was impossible to get an overall sense of where had yet to be decontaminated,' and called for better coordination among institutions to tackle this issue. 'The overall situation remains worrying,' said Lorenzo Bianchi, a researcher at the National Research Council Institute of Clinical Physiology in Pisa. Despite decades of delays, he said, time was still of the essence. 'The further we go on, if decontamination is not undertaken and the pressure on the territory is not mitigated, the more the negative effects will be felt,' he said. Antonella Mascia, a lawyer who represented some of the people who filed a complaint, said it had been rare for the court to be so detailed with its recommendations to Italy, specifying a two-year time limit. After that time, the court said it would also address the question of financial compensation for those who put in claims. 'But it was not about money, but about the verification that there was a violation in order to bring about change — this is the spirit' of the claim, Ms. Mascia said. Her colleague in Acerra, Valentina Centonze, said Italy had to make it a priority to find funds to fulfill the court's recommendations, from decontaminating the territory to monitoring it so that new dumps are not developed. As it is, garbage is strewed along back roads throughout the area. 'To resolve a problem, you have to invest in it,' she said. The court was also clear that the local population should no longer be kept in the dark about what was happening in its territory, for better or worse. 'There has to be transparency about what was not done and what has to be done,' said Alessandro Cannavacciuolo, a local environmental activist. He said he had been shocked into awareness about the pollution when lambs with two heads or two tails or one eye started to be born on the family farm. The health authorities eventually ordered the entire flock to be put down. His uncle, Vincenzo, died within a few weeks of a lung cancer that had metastasized. Earlier this month, he was invited to a meeting at the Prefecture of Naples with assorted health authorities, lawmakers, law enforcers and environmental activists to address the court's ruling. He said tangible proposals had been in short supply. 'There is talk, talk, talk. Eh, this territory has already heard a lot of talk,' he said. Attempts to reach the Campania regional authorities were unsuccessful. Mr. Cannavacciuolo, who is 36, could leave his home region, but has chosen to stay and fight. 'Our roots are here,' he said. 'Why abandon a land that belongs to us? The people who have polluted it are the ones who should go away.' Others can't wait to leave. Maria D'Alise, 18, known to everyone as Miriam, was just 5 when she was diagnosed with a kind of brain tumor that affects about 650 children per year in the European Union. 'In Acerra, a town of 60,000, there were three cases,' said Ms. Moccia, her mother. Now cancer free but still dealing with the aftereffects of her treatment, Ms. D'Alise is in her last year of high school and hopes to become a tattoo artist after graduating. Not in Acerra. 'This is where I had what I had,' she said, 'and should I have children when I grow up, I don't want them to have my same experience, so I am leaving.'
Local Italy
08-02-2025
- Health
- Local Italy
Inside Italy: Why is air pollution in northern Italy so bad?
Inside Italy is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip from Italy that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Earlier this week, Italian environmental watchdog Legambiente released its latest report on air pollution in major cities across the country. The report found that 25 of 98 Italian cities monitored had exceeded the legal threshold for coarse particulate matter, or PM10, in 2024 (the limit is set at a maximum of 35 days a year with a daily average of over 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre). According to Legambiente, average PM10 levels exceeded the 50-microgram limit on a total of 70 days in Frosinone, giving the Lazio city the title of Italy's 'smog capital' for the second consecutive year. Besides Frosinone however, only three other non-northern cities (Naples, Catania and Terni) were found to have violated clean air ordinances in 2024. The remaining 21 urban centres, including Milan, Turin, Verona and Venice, were all located in the Po Valley, in the north of the country. High levels of air pollution in the region, which straddles Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, covering an area of around 48,000 square kilometres, shouldn't come as a surprise. In recent years, the Po Valley has consistently been ranked by experts among the areas with the worst air pollution in the entire European continent. A 2023 study by academics at Utrecht University and Switzerland's Tropical and Public Health Institute found that more than a third of people living in the region breathed air whose concentrations of PM2.5 particles were four times the World Health Organisation's guideline limit. A 2023 investigation conducted by the European Data Journalism Network also found that Lombardy's Milan, Cremona and Monza were the three worst European provinces for air pollution, as average annual PM2.5 levels exceeded 21 micrograms per cubic metre in all cases. Why does all of this matter? PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) and PM10 (coarse particulate matter) are both regarded by scientists as dangerous to human health. These particles are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause a range of health problems, particularly for people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. Long-term exposure to high levels of particulate matter has also been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as an increased risk of lung cancer. What makes the Po Valley so heavily polluted? A number of different factors contribute to the Po Valley being one of the worst places for air pollution in Europe, according to experts. Firstly, the Pianura Padana is among the most heavily industrialised areas on the continent: Lombardy is the top industrial region in the EU, with Veneto (6th) and Emilia Romagna (9th) also figuring in the top ten. This translates to high levels of emissions - mainly nitrogen oxides - derived from industrial combustion and manufacturing or refinery processes. But with over 23 million residents (around 40 percent of the national population), the Po Valley is also a very densely populated area. This results in very high local concentrations of pollutants (especially particulate matter and nitrogen oxides) derived from domestic heating and road traffic. The region's weather conditions and the influence of nearby mountain ranges are also believed to contribute to pollution. According to meteorologist Flavio Galbiati, the Alps and Apennines surrounding the Po Valley 'affect the wind regime, whose intensity is generally very weak'. This contributes to relatively lengthy periods of air stagnation. Secondly, the area frequently experiences a phenomenon known as 'thermal inversion' during the cold months: the 'layer' of air close to the ground becomes colder (and heavier) than the layer above it, which prevents it from rising through the atmosphere. This creates a 'clog that prevents air circulation, trapping pollutants close to the ground, where their concentration can only increase day after day.' What's being done about this? While the area's geographical features cannot be changed, the transport, agriculture and heating sectors could all be regulated to reduce pollution and protect public health, according to Legambiente. This would include a gradual switch to fully electric public transport, the phase-out of combustion vehicles and heating devices using non-renewable sources, and environmentally-friendly urban planning. But regional authorities in the Po Valley have so far failed to take meaningful and decisive steps, voicing concerns that many of the required measures would damage the local economy. Even more alarmingly, they have often openly opposed new EU policies aimed at reducing pollution. In May 2023, the regional heads of Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna all opposed EU directives setting out stringent emission limits and environmental targets to be met by 2030. Lombardy's president Attilio Fontana called the new rules 'unreasonable'.
Local Italy
05-02-2025
- Health
- Local Italy
REVEALED: Do you live in one of Italy's most polluted cities?
The latest Mal'aria ('Bad air') report from environmental watchdog Legambiente found that 25 of 98 Italian cities monitored had exceeded the legal threshold for coarse particulate matter (PM10) in 2024 – up from 18 cities in 2023. Italy's emission limit is currently set at a maximum of 35 days a year with a daily average of over 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre. Legambiente found that average PM10 levels had exceeded the 50-microgram limit on a total of 70 days in Frosinone, giving the Lazio city the title of Italy's 'smog capital' for the second consecutive year. Lombardy's capital, Milan, ranked just behind Frosinone, as it exceeded legal levels of PM10 on 68 days. The top three was completed by Verona, in Italy's Veneto region, with 66 days. Other cities experiencing severe pollution included Vicenza (64 days), Padua (61) and Venice (61). Turin, Brescia, Monza, Naples and Cremona were also found to have worrying levels of PM10 pollution, with violations ranging from 52 to 58 days. You can find a full list of cities below. Legambiente warned that high levels of PM10 pose serious health risks to residents. PM10, which comes from various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial processes and construction activities, is small enough to be inhaled into the lungs, where it can cause a range of health problems, particularly for people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Long-term exposure to high levels of PM10 has also been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as an increased risk of lung cancer. The Legambiente report also highlighted that the Po Valley area, which includes cities like Milan, Turin, Verona and Vicenza, remains the most polluted region in the country. The combination of intense industrial activity, high population density and limited air circulation all contribute to persistently high pollution levels in the area, especially in the wintertime, when heating emissions add to the problem, according to the report. 'Smog is not an episodic phenomenon,' Andrea Minutolo, scientific director of Legambiente said. 'It is a structural issue aggravated by the [Po Valley] region's geography, and it's affecting public health and the economy.' Legambiente also raised concerns about Italy's preparedness for the enforcement of new air quality rules across the EU from January 1st, 2030. The watchdog said that, if current pollution levels persist, at least 70 Italian cities will exceed the new EU limit for PM10 – 20 micrograms per cubic metre. According to Legambiente, air pollution is responsible for approximately 50,000 premature deaths each year in Italy. Here's a list of all the Italian cities that violated clean air ordinances by exceeding PM10 emission limits on more than 35 days in 2024. Frosinone - 70 days over the limit Milan - 68 days Verona - 66 days Vicenza - 64 days Padua - 61 days Venice - 61 days Cremona - 57 days Naples - 57 days Rovigo - 57 days Turin - 55 days Monza - 54 days Treviso - 53 days Modena - 52 days Brescia - 51 days Mantua - 50 days Lodi - 49 days Pavia - 47 days Catania - 46 days Bergamo - 40 days Piacenza - 40 days Rimini - 40 days Terni - 39 days Ferrara - 38 days Asti - 37 days Ravenna - 37 days
Reuters
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Italian government appeals against Sardinia law limiting green projects
ROME, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The Italian government has appealed against a law passed in December by the regional government in Sardinia, which set tight limits on the development of renewable projects on the island. The appeal to the constitutional court, announced late on Tuesday by the cabinet, is the latest move in a tug-of-war between the central government and Sardinia over green energy development. Sardinia's resistance against green projects echoes a backlash registered in the Spanish region of Galicia against wind developers. "Certain provisions of the regional law are in conflict with state and European legislation on energy and cultural and landscape heritage," the government said in a statement, alleging Sardinia's rules also violated the Italian constitution. Sardinia President Alessandra Todde, from the opposition Five Star Movement, rebuffed the move by the rightist government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying the regional administration would defend itself before the judicial system. Sardinia's administration passed a bill last month indicating parts of the territory where green energy developers can benefit from a fast-track permitting process. "The law... introduces particularly restrictive rules - such as 7-kilometre buffer zones around assets considered of value for natural, historic or cultural reasons - making almost 100% of the regional territory unsuitable," Italian non-profit environmental organisation Legambiente said in recent report. Alleanza per il fotovoltaico, a group of solar developers working in Italy, said in a statement that the regional law targeted not only new projects but also those already granted permits, setting a dangerous example for the other regional administrations. The regional administration in Sardinia has sought to protect the island's landscape, agriculture and tourism against what it calls 'speculators', buying cheap land for green projects to re-sell projects once approved.
