According to a survey by the Agency BiDiMedia a month ago, the Rome waste-to-energy plant project will not be conditioned by the regional elections. The voters of Francesco Rocca (centre-right coalition) in the same way as those of Alessio D'Amato (centre-left coalition) are not worried about the construction of what, instead, the vice president of the Chamber of FdI Fabio Rampelli he called a maxi-stove. Maybe, but the balance between centre-right and centre-left voters (with the Cinquestelle against) on a infrastructure worth 600 million euros it represents better than any other cold assessment the urgency of giving the capital a modern organization of the waste cycle. Mayor Robert Gualtieri, which did not come out well in the aforementioned survey, received from the government what was necessary to complete the project within the times established by the PNRR. And it is to be expected that in case of victory in the regionals, the centre-left will play the match better than the centre-right. If only to strengthen the Region-Municipality axis on such a thorny issue, sometimes divisive even on the left and capture consensus in the more pragmatic environmentalist area. The environment is optional for no one felt during the election campaign.
Street waste incompatible with development
The Roman Committee Come on, constituted in favor of the waste-to-energy plant, claims that the plant will relaunch lo development and image of the Capital in the next 10 years. A time during which Rome will host the Jubilee in 2025 and the possible, eventual Expo 2030. But all of Italy will benefit from these deadlines which – God forbid – would be veiled by a dirty and impractical capital due to public inefficiencies administration and political disputes. «Mayor Gualtieri is leading a brave battle in a political scenario in which even political alliances are now being built around a yes or no to a waste-to-energy plant. Nonsense,” he said Head grain president of Assoambiente in a meeting organized by Daje and the BASE Italia Association. The planned plant in Santa Palomba from waste will also generate electricity for the city, following the example of the one 180km away in Acerra. Certainly it will not solve all the problems accumulated over years of private landfill management, waste abandoned everywhere, denials of reality, prejudices and underestimations. However, it will be the beginning of a historic phase for 30 million waste a year, as well as bringing the Italian capital into line with the other European capitals.
The opportunity to close with landfills
By resorting to the odious landfills that Europe has outlawed, Rome today disposes of only 4% of differentiated waste. If the voices "against" concern health, environmental impacts, the economic repercussions, the voices "for" do everything to argue with data in hand and scientific evidence. Luca Laurenti, biologist and manager of the Umberto I General Hospital says that to get a concrete idea of waste-to-energy plants, one must have courage and select up-to-date scientific sources. "Thus avoiding giving credit to howlers who, without an adequate curriculum on the subject, spread certainties without scientific references and reliable sources". So what do the scientific sources say? The most accredited internationally "they do not record higher mortality rates near the impianti, nor particular incidence on pathologies in the population that lives around these plants ”. The correct information of these data could reassure the territory, overcoming the objections of the detractors of the waste-to-energy plant. The memory goes to Campania in 2008 which did not have the Acerra plant in operation.
Why fight exploitation
The AMA - the company that manages the waste service - at the end of January launched a campaign to have garbage delivered to 15 city locations. The Romans responded well and in a disciplined way by delivering thousands of bags containing 170 tons of waste of various kinds. "Rome is today a dirty city and this represents a negative value for the companies that insist on the area, for hotels as well as for commercial activities", he adds. Luke Barrera of the trade union coordination of the CNA representing the business world. The most effective comparison is with the tourism that is worth 12% of the city's GDP and that up to Gualtieri's installation in the Campidoglio it was protected only in words. But Europe's goals are also at stake with 65% recycling and only 10% going to landfill. Rome and Lazio today are not examples to be taken as a model. They can become so, but adverse examples will remain as long as concrete actions to increase separate collection, reduce organic waste, recycle industrial waste, build modern and safe plants, are opposed by instrumental arguments that honest citizens do not deserve. Who knows if the outcome of the regional vote will confirm the poll from a month ago.
