Italy ramps up landfill clean‑up, waste crime prosecutions and coastal remediation
The Lazio regional government and a state commission have begun work on the Malagrotta landfill site near Rome, backed by €250 million of national funding. The plan calls for capping the former dump by 2029, extracting biogas and installing renewable‑energy infrastructure, with officials saying the area will “become a suburban park.”
In the Marche region, Carabinieri concluded the “Fango&cash” investigation into illegal waste trafficking between 2013 and 2019. Six defendants, including a former mayor, accepted plea‑bargains; the company Inerti Esino was fined €70 000 and ordered to pay €1 million to the municipality of Arcevia for cave remediation.
The Romagna Regional Parks Authority signed a pact with seven volunteer ecological guard groups (GEV) to patrol protected areas such as the Vena del Gesso and Natura 2000 sites. The volunteers will monitor violations, issue fines and run environmental‑education programmes.
Carabinieri of the environmental unit seized the Striano food‑preserving plant Agriconserve Rega after investigations revealed illegal discharges that exceeded chemical‑oxygen‑demand and E. coli limits in the Sarno river tributary, as well as un‑authorised waste storage. The seizure forms part of a wider probe into sources of Sarno river pollution.
Finally, authorities in Agropoli have begun the demolition process for illegal structures at Lido Trentova, aiming to remove building violations and address severe beach erosion. Nearby Lido Azzurro has been reopened for the summer season.