Nuclear waste repository:the government changes its mind and also opens up to unsuitable sites

Lindipendente

https://www.lindipendente.online/2023/11/30/deposito-scorie-nucleari-il-governo-cambia-idea-e-apre-anche-ai-siti-non-idonei/

The Energy Decree, recently approved by the Council of Ministers, has opened up the self-nomination of Municipalities as a potential site for the construction of the National Nuclear Waste Repository, an area of ​​95 thousand cubic meters where radioactive waste will be stored.In this way, local authorities not included in the national charter of potentially suitable areas (the CNAPI, never made public, despite having been ready for months) could also offer themselves for the position.Environment Minister Pichetto Fratin defined it as a decision "necessary to speed up the process of identifying an area that the country has a strong need for".Overall, the measure has caused quite a stir discontent and perplexity, since it actually goes beyond the path which, in recent years, has led to the identification of dozens of sites potentially suitable for hosting waste on the basis of rigid technical-scientific criteria.Yet, in this scenario, the first self-nomination has already emerged:that of Trino Vercellese, in Piedmont, which however had not been included in the CNAPI due to the lack of the necessary requirements.

TO Trino Vercellese, From the beginning of the 1960s until 1986, a nuclear power plant was active and is gradually being dismantled.The area was not taken into consideration for the storage of nuclear waste by Sogin - a state company commissioned under the executive led by Mario Draghi which was responsible for the selection of suitable sites - since it is located too close to the Po and, therefore, is subject to risk of flooding (one of the most important parameters used for identification).Yet, following the approval of the energy bill which opened up to self-nominations, the mayor of Trino, Daniele Pane (Fdi), surprisingly expressed his willingness to host the deposit.«If no territory gives its availability, I believe we should re-evaluate areas like ours which already today host almost all the radioactive waste», said Pane, adding that, on this topic, in Italy «a unjustified terrorism", since "in the rest of Europe they are fighting to host the plants".Pane was attacked by the minority in the city council, but also by many members of his own political party.In addition to the centre-right mayors of the municipalities near Trino, in fact, there are also the president of the province of Vercelli who distance themselves from Pane, Davide Gilardino, as well as the president of the Piedmont Region himself Alberto Cirio.«Piedmont, and in particular the province of Vercelli, have already done their part – ha declared the latter -.We therefore do not think that a new warehouse can be envisaged in our region", which has also "already technically documented to the ministry that there are no suitable areas in the entire Piedmontese territory".

Until now, Italy has paid France and England for the disposal of nuclear waste which has been there over the years sent abroad.Their return is expected by 2025, when the deposit must be completed.To this end, after the long work done by Sogin, they had indeed been identified 67 sites suitable for the construction of the nuclear waste repository, reported in the CNAPI in January 2021.12 of the selected areas were identified as “better” solutions.They are located in the province of Turin (Rondissone-Mazze-Caluso, Carmagnola), Alessandria (Alessandria-Castelletto Monferrato-Quargnento, Fubine-Quargnento, Alessandria-Oviglio, Bosco Marengo-Frugarolo, Bosco Marengo-Novi Ligure) and Viterbo (two sites in Montalto di Castro, Canino-Montalto di Castro, Corchiano-Vignanello, Corchiano).The others, present in regions of central and southern Italy, were found to be potentially suitable, but with a poorer score than the first dozen.Following the protests of the indicated Municipalities - none of which gave the OK to receive the nuclear waste -, Sogin itself was called to update the map, which was sent to the government in its new version last March.But it is not yet accessible to citizens.

[by Stefano Baudino]

Licensed under: CC-BY-SA
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