A new step towards combating environmental degradation in the Land of Fires. A collaboration agreement was signed in Caivano between six institutions with the goal of removing waste abandoned along provincial roads in the provinces of Naples and Caserta, one of the most glaring environmental problems in the area.
The signing took place at the headquarters of the Special Commissioner's Office and marks the launch of a coordinated operational system to structurally address the problem of littering along roads. The meeting was attended by the Special Commissioner for Infrastructure and Social Redevelopment, Prefect Fabio Ciciliano, the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, the President of the Province of Caserta, Anacleto Colombiano, the Sole Director of Sapna, Alberto Boccalatte, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gisec, Vincenzo Caterino, and the General Director of Arpac, Luigi Stefano Sorvino.
The constant presence of waste along provincial highways has been one of the most visible signs of environmental degradation in the Land of Fires for years, as well as posing a potential risk to public health. The new protocol aims to move toward concrete and coordinated management of removal and disposal operations, with clearly defined tasks and responsibilities for each party involved.
The Special Commissioner will coordinate the entire plan, identifying intervention priorities and ensuring financial coverage through resources from the Development and Cohesion Fund, available in the special accounts of the commissioner's office. The Metropolitan City of Naples and the Province of Caserta will manage administrative and technical coordination with the waste management companies in their respective areas.
Sapna and Gisec will oversee the operational phases of waste disposal and treatment collected along provincial roads, ensuring its transfer to authorized facilities and complete traceability of flows through waste identification forms and periodic reporting of activities.
The agreement also provides for the strengthening of the environmental monitoring activities entrusted to Arpac. The commissioner will provide resources for the hiring of eight new specialized professionals for a two-year period, tasked with intensifying sampling, analysis, and characterization of waste found in the area.
The stated goal is to progressively reduce the presence of illegal landfills along provincial roads and strengthen environmental monitoring in one of the most sensitive areas of Campania, where for years the illegal dumping of waste has been one of the most difficult emergencies to address.
It seems like a positive start to me, but I don't know if it will be enough, because things often remain the same as before. The protocol seems written, but then the daily application is lacking, people don't always collaborate and the promised resources sometimes don't arrive. The institutions have said many things but then they don't keep everything.