Liquid Waste in Belladanza!
(Città di Castello | 08.07.2008)

Following a fire at Belladanza on July 8, 2008, Bernicchi, the President of Sogepu, responded to a letter from Town Councillor Franco Ciliberti, maintaining that “Sogepu has always acted with respect to the laws.”

In the summer of 2008, the New Committee for Belladanza was alerted by residents in the area that liquid waste was being discharged directly into the Belladanza landfill. Some of the NCB members documented this by taking photographs, which may be viewed on this web site. (Video documentation may also be downloaded).

Article 6 of D. Lgs. 13.1.2003 n. 36 lett. A expressly forbids the depositing of liquid wastes in the landfill. The truck in the photos belongs to Sogepu and is easily identifiable by its license plate. Also visible is the blackish pool of liquid that has been discharged from the tube that is attached to the truck. The photos show that the tube is left in place once the liquid is discharged in order to facilitate future operations, which – according to eyewitnesses – were taking place on an almost daily basis prior to the exposé.

These photos are part of the supporting evidence for an exposé that has been presented to the Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale di Perugia, al Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela dell’Ambiente (N.O.E.), all’Arpa – Dipartimento di Perugia, al Corpo Forestale dello Stato ed alla Polizia Provinciale di Perugia in the hope that someone will finally carry out an in-depth investigation to ascertain what is really happening at Belladanza.

When word got out about the exposé, the comings and goings of the truck suddenly stopped, and the tube disappeared. But in the meantime, those “mystery” liquids were being discharged into the landfill for days, and considering the proximity of the Gracciano River….
If we continue to courteously request explanations from Sogepu, who is the only supervisor of its own operations, it is indeed improbable that the company will accuse itself of any irregularities.

Meanwhile, Mayor Fernanda Cecchini brings the Mayor of Ramallah to Belladanza to boast about the excellency of the landfill’s management. If this is the best that Città di Castello has to offer…