Lazio Region, the Waste Plan approved: yes to two waste-to-energy plants and a landfill in each province

To bring Lazio, for the first time, to the closure of the regional waste cycle and to exceed 70% separate waste collection by 2031. These are the objectives of the Lazio Region's new Waste Plan, approved this morning by the Council. "This is just the first step of a path," explained President Francesco Rocca during the presentation press conference together with Waste Councillor Fabrizio Ghera, "now begins an action of listening and dialogue with the individual territories. For the final approval of the plan in the Regional Council, Rocca and Ghera explained that it will take between six and eight months.

One of the main novelties is the fact that "each province will have its own landfill," Rocca stated, "because I do not intend to be blackmailed by the 'not in my backyard' policy that has meant that all the burden has been dumped on Viterbo, which has been turned into the Lazio landfill. The regional plan fully incorporates that of Roma Capitale, launched by the extraordinary government commissioner for the Jubilee, the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.

The go-ahead is therefore given for two waste-to-energy plants, one in Rome (Santa Palomba) to be built and the other already existing at San Vittore in Ciociaria. The division of the five provincial ambits is also being overcome: two ATOs (Ambiti territoriali ottimali) will be established, one for Rome Capital and the other for the rest of Lazio. The objective launched by the Lazio Region is to reduce waste by 6% and achieve 72.3% separate waste collection by 2031. The aim is to achieve plant self-sufficiency, in view of the fact that today about 1 million tonnes of waste from Lazio are disposed of or treated outside the Region every year.

On the waste-to-energy plant in Rome "there is great concern in the territories, and I have invited Mayor Gualtieri, who is the Commissioner, to open a dialogue with the municipalities to listen and identify compensatory measures for which we are willing to do our part". So said the President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca, on the sidelines of the presentation of Lazio's new Waste Plan. Rocca insists, however, on the issue of the road system: "There Gualtieri has made a commitment on rail transport that I hope he will respect. On the day the waste-to-energy plant at Santa Palomba opens, the rail transport part must also be ready, because the Ardeatina is not in a condition to withstand the transport of 1,500 heavy vehicles a day for the transfer of a plant that will treat 600,000 tonnes". In any case, Rocca explains, on the waste-to-energy plant 'the road seems to me to be traced. The Region's technical opinions have now been delivered. Now I know that there is an appeal pending and we will see what the administrative judges will decide'.

"The Waste Plan of the Rocca Council, presented today, takes us back to the Environmental Middle Ages. Instead of focusing on the circular economy and the recovery of materials, the right wing chooses the laziest and most polluting path, that of burning everything, and diverts resources towards the modernisation of plants that only serve to keep an obsolete system alive. We are faced with an unacceptable paradox that splits Lazio in two: unlike the other provinces, Rome is granted the 'privilege' of burning undifferentiated waste as is without any pre-treatment. Thus in a note the M5S Group at the Lazio Region, reiterating the Pentastellati's opposition to the waste-to-energy plant in Rome.