Salento waste facility fires prompt calls for emergency regional coordination

Angela De Luca, a municipal councilor in Monteroni di Lecce and member of the Union 3 of Municipalities, has called for an extraordinary council meeting following fires at a waste storage and treatment plant in Lequile and recent outbreaks at a local eco-center.

Environmental monitoring by Arpa has confirmed the presence of dioxins, PCBs, and benzopyrene in the area. These findings have prompted extraordinary monitoring of soil, groundwater, and the agri-food chain across Lequile, Monteroni, Arnesano, and San Pietro in Lama. De Luca emphasized the need for a coordinated institutional response and a strategic prevention network among the involved municipalities to move beyond spontaneous solidarity toward concrete institutional action.