Palermo’s Bellolampo landfill fire: President Rap to file precautionary complaint

Last Updated: June 18, 2024

Il rogo a Bellolampo a Palermo, il presidente Rap: presenterò una denunzia cautelativa

Giuseppe Todaro, president of Rap, the company in charge of waste collection in Palermo and manager of the Bellolampo landfill, announced that he will file a precautionary complaint to investigate the incident that occurred at the landfill the previous evening, where a fire broke out and was extinguished overnight. He stated that this was an unusual phenomenon, as a similar event had occurred a few weeks ago when a mattress caught fire. Todaro noted that continuous monitoring of the facility allowed immediate intervention by both Rap employees and four teams of firefighters to contain the flames. He mentioned plans to enhance monitoring by installing thermal cameras to control temperatures at the facility.

Todaro refrained from speculating on the cause of the fire and emphasized the importance of waiting for the results of the investigation. He also mentioned the potential consequences if the landfill were to be shut down, which would require transporting waste out of the city at a significant cost. Regarding concerns about the release of dioxin, Todaro stated that the fire was extinguished quickly, unlike last year when flames burned for days, and they are awaiting air quality analysis results.

Mayor Roberto Lagalla expressed surprise at the fire at Bellolampo, noting that the danger has been mitigated thanks to the control systems implemented by Rap. He found it unusual that a fire would start under seemingly low-risk weather conditions and near a new landfill site. Lagalla made these remarks while attending the inauguration of the new Italtel headquarters.