Dioxin in Palermo, the mayor reports a significant decrease in chemical compounds. The Democratic Party requests that Lagalla present this information in the assembly.

Last Updated: August 8, 2023

Diossina a Palermo, il sindaco: sensibile calo dei composti chimici. Il Pd: Lagalla riferisca in aula

#Palermo
“The latest data published today by Arpa Sicilia, which refer to dioxin measurements in the air from July 28 to 30, show a significant decrease in chemical compounds. These results were already expected by the technicians and provide a hopeful outlook for the additional analyses being conducted by the regional agency for environmental protection. The mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla, affirms this.

“The situation, therefore, is becoming more reassuring,” he continues. “Now we await the first feedback on the presence of dioxin in the soil in the coming days. Based on this data and the technical opinions from the relevant authorities, any necessary modifications to the ordinance adopted on July 29 for precautionary purposes will be evaluated. Meanwhile, law enforcement and the Asp will continue their inspections in the farms located within the 4-kilometer area affected by the measure.”

In the Borgo Nuovo area after the Bellolampo landfill fire, the dioxin levels have dropped from 3531 femtograms per cubic meter to 397 in Villa delle Ginestre and from 116 to 33 in the monitoring point in via Costantino. These are the data provided by Arpa in the latest published measurements. The limit is 100.

“We have learned from various communications reported in numerous regional and local newspapers that the levels of dioxin still present and registered by Arpa are still high enough to deserve the utmost attention, especially in terms of protecting the affected population due to the risk caused by yet another fire in the Bellolampo plant area, particularly in the IV tank. Arpa itself believes that direct inhalation exposure constitutes only a small portion of the potential harm compared to total exposure (attributable to the consumption of contaminated food). These new developments compared to previous statements are to be regarded as extremely serious,” say the Palermo council members of the Democratic Party (Pd) in a statement.

They add, “Citizens should be able to know the levels of dioxin exposure that have affected them without the need to learn this information from newspapers, but solely and exclusively from the highest authority responsible in this matter. Therefore, we believe that what has occurred and, above all, the persistence of high levels of dioxin in the Palermo area should urgently prompt an increase in monitoring, but above all in technical investigations through the involvement of the most qualified public structures at the regional and national levels.”

They further state, “It is also requested to know whether, with regard to fine and non-fine particles that were detected by Arpa Sicilia during the days of the fire emergency, which exceeded legal limits, more in-depth analyses have been carried out to determine their nature.” The Pd council members Arcoleo, Giambrone, Lupo, and Piccione request “the presence of the mayor in the council chamber and that the chamber be understood as permanently convened to safeguard public information and the health of all Palermo residents.”