Intolerable air pollution in the towns of Este and Monselice (Padua) due to emissions from cement plants

15.12.2011

Question for written answer P-012302/2011
to the Commission
Rule 117
Andrea Zanoni (ALDE)

In Italy, three cement plants are operating within a 5 km radius in the municipalities of Este and Monselice in the Colli Euganei regional park. The park is a ‘site of Community interest’ (Natura 2000) and its environmental plan stipulates that the cement plants are incompatible with the purpose of the park and calls for them to be converted or relocated. Despite this, the Province of Padua has expressed a favourable opinion on the environmental compatibility of a project to renovate the Italcementi cement plant in Monselice, which would enable it to carry on operating for another 30 years. The regional administrative court (TAR) of Veneto has acknowledged that the new project conflicts with the rules laid down in the environmental plan. The company in question, and other bodies, have appealed, and the Council of State is due to deliver a decision on the matter on 17 January 2012.

Because of the high level of pollution, the local ‘air protection and clean-up plan’ has included the towns of Este and Monselice in ‘Zone A’, i.e. a zone to be cleaned up. Under current legislation, and in particular Legislative Decree No 152 of 3 April 2006 which transposes the IPPC Directive (2008/1/EC) still in force, the cement plants in question have the following emission limits: total dust: 30 mg/Nm3; sulphur dioxide: 600 mg/Nm3; nitrogen oxides: 1 800 mg/Nm3.

Surprisingly, as far as incinerators are concerned, Legislative Decree No 133 of 11 May 2005, implementing Directive 2000/76/EC, provides for the following emission limits: total dust: 10 mg/Nm3; sulphur dioxide: 50 mg/Nm3; nitrogen dioxide: 200 mg/Nm3.

Here there is clearly a macroscopic and incomprehensible difference in emission limits for cement plants and incinerators that emit the same health-damaging pollutants. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that cement plants are being given such special treatment when the absolute quantities (concentration multiplied by flow) of the abovementioned pollutants are generally much higher in cement plants than in incinerators. When establishing the emission limits, no account was taken of the distance between the three cement plants, the emission limits of which are among the highest permitted by law. People living in or near the park are having to bear a pollution load that is much higher than the already very high load of a single cement plant.

Given the above, does the Commission not agree that it is necessary and urgent to lower the emission limits for cement plants in order to adapt them at least to those for incinerators, in particular according to: a) the actual distance between cement plants, and b) the distances of the plants from residential areas and their location within protected areas?

OJ C 285 E, 21/09/2012