Serious air pollution in Pederobba (province of Treviso) and combustion of large quantities of tyres and pet coke for the production of cement
23.8.2012
Question for written answer E-007660/2012
to the Commission
Rule 117
Andrea Zanoni (ALDE)
The conversion of cement plants into incinerators is a ‘phenomenon’ that has been taking place in Italy for at least 10 years. In Veneto there are five cement plants, including the Pederobba plant (province of Treviso) which, since 1996, has been authorised by the Province of Treviso to carry out the ‘experimental’ co-incineration of tyres. The quantity of tyres authorised for incineration has increased from the initial 30 000 tonnes per year to the current 60 000 tonnes; in other words, this cement plant burns around half of all the tyres burned in Italy each year.
The cement plant ranks eighth in Italy among plants which have the greatest environmental impact with regard to emissions of carbon monoxide[1] and is located in the municipality of Pederobba, which is one of the four municipalities in the province of Treviso with the highest rate of emissions[2]; it should also be pointed out that in addition to burning tyres, just as many tonnes of pet coke are burned.
The Pederobba cement plant emits around 600 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, equivalent to the emissions of a city of 60 000 inhabitants[3]. In Pederobba, ARPAV[4] carried out a study on air pollution, which established that the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene monitored at all sites in Pederobba, with the exception of Cimitero, was found to be at levels that were substantially higher than the legal limit, i.e. 1.7 ng/m3 as compared to the legal limit of 1.0 ng/m3[5].
In December 2012, the cement plant obtained an Integrated Environmental Authorisation (IEA) from the Province of Treviso without, however, having assessed the fact that the plant is on the River Piave (bordering on an SCI and SPA area) and without reducing the amount of waste burned or mixed into cement.
In June 2012 the Veneto Region authorised two biomass cogeneration plants in Pederobba — one 999 kW plant fuelled by rapeseed oil and the other, with a capacity of 490 kW, fuelled by wood and vine branches — without taking into account the fact that this decision can only exacerbate an environmental situation that is already illegal.
- —In the light of the above, with regard to this serious case of contamination of an entire area, can the Commission check whether the Italian authorities are complying with the EU Directives on the protection of health and air quality?
- [1] Source: 2009 report by Legambiente (environmental association), ‘Mal'Aria’ concerning data from 2006.
- [2] Source: ‘Zonizzazione Tecnica della provincia di Treviso sulla base delle fonti di pressione e dello stato della qualità dell'aria’ — ARPAV, July 2006.
- [3] http://www.eper.sinanet.apat.it/site/it-IT/Registro_INES/Ricerca_per_complesso_industriale/RicercaINES.html
- [4] ARPAV: Regional Environment Protection Agency for Veneto.
- [5] Summary of ‘cement sector’ project in the municipality of Pederobba — 2010, ARPAV p. 11.
OJ C 229 E, 08/08/2013