Le reclamation of the orphan polluted sites of managers reach the first goal set for December in advance: 500 million euros foreseen by the PNRR for clean up polluted areas that do not have a direct owner have been spent. Once the contaminations detected in the past years have been removed, the areas can be used for new production activities. The Ministry of Ecological Transition has anticipated the conclusion of the interventions compared to December 2022, following an operational plan drawn up together with the local authorities. In fact, they were the ones who defined the mapping of risk areas "without culprits". The result achieved is also important compared to theEurope looking at Italy for the permanence and use of landfills, although outlawed. Will it be possible to allocate new industries or laboratories? In perspective yes. We have to wait for the completion of the Plan and the definition of land allocation methods.
“The investment aims to reduce health risks, preserve the environment and promote the circular economy. The redevelopment of land now allows it to be reused and re-entered into the real estate market,” said the Minister Roberto Cingolani. On the other hand, the recovery of land in good conditions avoids further consumption of virgin soil and reduces the impact on the environment and biodiversity.
Orphan polluted sites: they are present in all Regions
The money from the Resilience Plan was divided between Regions and Provinces, allocating 50% to the South, for reduce the gap between North and South. It was a decree of December 2020 that started the interventions on the sites. They have been found in all Regions, but some particularly critical ones have been intercepted in the South. The remediation will continue and it will have to be redeveloped by March at least 70% of the area of the soil of known sites. The goal is to stay within the current times of the PNRR to improve urban regeneration.
We are working on a homogeneous intervention on the national territory to avoid regional inequalities - explained the technicians of the Ministry - for which the collaboration of Regions and Provinces is still essential. The Presidents of the Region and of the Metropolitan Cities have the responsibility of acting as implementers of the reclamations. Not by chance to speed up the area recovery between 2021 and June 2022, the Ministry signed the program agreements to start the construction sites. It is clear that there is also a direct interest of the Mayors in no longer having places with dangerous discharges under their noses. From the point of view of sustainability, the type of interventions provided for emergency safety, a characterization plan, environmental risk analysis, permanent and operational safety with the final project. Specifically, the subsoil and groundwater have been investigated to protect factories, offices, people who are going to settle.
