Airola fire, owners respond: "The site is under judicial management, and we bear no responsibility."

The debate continues over responsibility for the fire that devastated a site in the industrial area of ​​Airola, in the Benevento province, on August 31st. While the affected communities point the finger at the plant's management, the owners deny the accusations and reconstruct the legal proceedings that have affected the facility in recent years.

"They have been under judicial administration for years," the owners state, recalling that in January 2022, the Court of Benevento ordered the seizure of Ecoenergy Srl, removing the administrator from management powers and appointing a judicial administrator.

The reconstruction continues with another step dated 2024, when the site was again seized for exceeding the authorized quantities of stored waste. The measure was later revoked after the volumes were reduced.

«Under this management, in 2024 the site was seized for exceeding the stored quantities and subsequently released for reducing volumes».

The owners then refer to the project for the resumption of operations. "Last November, the Tritor company requested a ten-year lease on the business unit for the resumption of operations in exchange for the complete disposal of the existing waste." According to the reconstruction provided, another five months passed after the request before the Court authorized the signing of the contract.

"Another five months of stalemate followed: only in April of this year did the Court authorize the signing of the contract stipulated on April 30th, but for the site's emptying procedures to begin, the Court's transfer of authorization was required, which did not occur until August 31st, the day of the fire."

The situation remains at the center of a debate involving institutions, citizens, and stakeholders in the management of the area. A complaint regarding the matter has also been filed with the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Illegal Activities Related to the Waste Cycle, and the President of the Campania Region by attorney Teresa Meccariello.

The AslimItaly association has also requested the Environment Minister's intervention. The fire and its environmental consequences remain in the background, while full clarification is awaited regarding the site's management, the presence of waste, and the chain of responsibility that preceded the blaze.