Crotone remediation: Court ruling challenges toxic waste disposal ordinance

A ruling by the Regional Administrative Court of Calabria has challenged a 2019 regional ordinance regarding the remediation of the national interest site in Crotone. The original ordinance, known as the ‘paur’, mandated the transfer and disposal of toxic waste from Crotone outside the Calabria region to mitigate local pollution.

Eni Rewind successfully appealed the measure, arguing a contradiction between the positions of the Calabria Region and the Ministry of the Environment regarding jurisdiction over the final disposal of waste from a site of national interest. The court noted that the central administration had allegedly abdicated its legal prerogatives and competencies concerning the remediation process.

The dispute centers on three potential options for the site: leaving the waste in situ with safety measures, creating a landfill on Eni-owned property, or disposing of the waste in a landfill in Cosenza owned by a private group. Local authorities, including the Calabria Region, the Municipality, and the Province of Crotone, have historically opposed Eni’s proposals.