The Terra dei Fuochi decree has finally obtained the definitive green light from the Chamber of Deputies, marking an important step in the fight against abandonment and bad waste management. With 137 votes in favor and 85 against, the law introduces more severe measures for citizens and businesses that transgress environmental regulations, demanding penalties for the uncontrolled deposit of waste and irregular management.
The provision expands the sanctioning picture for the “non -compliant treatment of waste“, Extending the prison penalties for those who manage waste illegally, with new types of crimes that replace the previous fines. But they remain questions.
Severe penalties are also planned for the abandonment of small waste, such as cigarette butts, with penalties that reach up to 320 euros. In severe cases, such as the abandonment of hazardous waste, we move on to imprisonment from one to five years, with aggravating circumstances in case of damage to health and the environment.
The government also intended for 15 million euros for environmental remediation in Campania, with the remediation and removal of the waste already started, thus also responding to the recent sentence of the European Court of Human Rights, which has condemned Italy for not having adequately protected the health of citizens in the most affected areas, including those on the border between the provinces of Naples and Caserta.
We talked about it here: land of fires, historical sentence against Italy for not having protected the inhabitants from toxic waste
In addition to reforming the sanctioning system, the decree also provides for the introduction of new measures against illegal waste trafficking and illegal combustion, with more severe penalties, and promotes greater traceability of waste with sanctions doubled for those who do not fulfill registration obligations. The changes also go to enhance the investigative tools, including the arrest in deferred flagrance up to 48 hours and the strengthening of the criminal responsibility of companies in the event of serious environmental violations.
Another significant novelty concerns the management of WEEE (waste from electrical and electronic equipment): the distributors of new appliances will be obliged to collect free of charge, in addition to the replaced appliances, also other technological waste from families.
Well but not very well, the theme of insufficient resources for reclamation remains open
The definitive approval of the land decree of fires is excellent news. This is an important step at national level but more resources are needed to guarantee full ecogiustizia to those territories from Campania for too long by Ecomafiosi and Camorra, where the reclamation struggle to arrive – says the president of Legambiente Stefano Ciafani in a note to comment on the definitive approval of the decree.
The theme of insufficient resources for the reclamation to be made in the land of fires – continues the note – because 15 million euros intended, for 2025, to the interventions in landfills and contaminated sites entrusted to the Single Commissioner Vadalà represent only 50% of those necessary, according to the commissioner, according to the commissioner, to remove the over 30 thousand tons of waste abandoned in the “land of fires”, remains. For this – concludes Ciafani – today we launch an appeal to the government and parliament so that they commit themselves to guaranteeing the necessary resources as soon as possible together with a punctual programming to give these territories to the ultrasound and a new future.
