During the course of environmental supervision in recent days, the Port Authority of Crotone carried out an inspection at a large industrial system, of about 60,000 square meters, intended for the production and processing of cement materials.
The inspection, conducted with the support of the staff of the local maritime office of Catanzaro Lido, highlighted serious defaults on environmental protection and waste management, as well as discrepancy with respect to the valid environmental authorizations, including the single environmental authorization (AUA) and the authorization for emissions in the atmosphere.
In particular, the total absence of systems for collecting and treatment of rainwater of flooding and waters used in the washing activities of the means and industrial equipment was found. These waters, instead of being conveyed and purified, were dispersed directly on the ground, with the consequent risk of land contamination and surface and underground waters, in clear violation of the regulatory requirements provided for by Legislative Decree 152/2006.
Further critical issues have been detected in the setting of industrial waste water, which were overloaded with not properly disposed of mud, with large quantities of such waste stored directly in contact with the soil without any protection or authorization, with consequent illegal management of special waste and the concrete danger to the surrounding environment.
During the inspection, the failure to keep the waste loading and unloading register was also verified, a mandatory document for companies that produce and manage waste, and the absence of the forms certifying the regular disposal of sludge and other results.
In the light of the violations found, which involve significant alterations of the soil, subsoil and atmosphere, in addition to the actual risk of pollution of the body body’s water receptor, the military proceeded to the criminal seizure of the entire industrial area, extended for about 60,000 square meters.
The legal manager of the activity was referred to the Public Prosecutor of Catanzaro for hypothesis of crime attributable to the illegal management of special waste produced, as well as the abandonment of the same in direct contact with the ground, the failure to comply with the requirements given by the unique environmental authorization issued, as well as the lack of a special system for collection of the rainwater of delays and first rain.