“Biodigester at Acquarossa, we ask for the convening of an extraordinary municipal council”
by Daniele Camilli
Viterbo – “We ask the city council to convene an extraordinary session to discuss the Acquarossa biodigester. Politics and institutions must take a stand." This is the request of the "No" committee, chaired by the entrepreneur Giovanni Iannacco, addressed to the municipal council of Palazzo dei Priori in Viterbo.
Once the summer is over, the battle of the entrepreneurs in the Acquarossa industrial area resumes where the construction of a biodigester is planned, i.e. a recycling station for the disposal of organic waste, which is transformed into energy. A biodigester contested by the majority of companies located a few hundred meters from the future structure. About twenty businesses, and around 400 workers, located in an area close to the Teverina, a couple of kilometers from the archaeological area of Ferento, with the Roman theatre, and in a road connection point which is also fundamental for traffic internal with dozens of workers who move daily towards the capital.
“In the area – explains Iannacco – there are fruit and vegetable markets, a slaughterhouse, a sports club and companies of all kinds. Each invested around a million euros each just to start. The fear is that the presence of the biodigester could have repercussions on the image of the place and no other company will come to invest anymore. With the risk, however, that some of those already present will have to move elsewhere."
Viterbo – The signs along the Teverina inviting people to oppose the biodigester
On the one hand, therefore, the company that wants to build the biodigester at Acquarossa, Biometano Tuscia which, among other things, a few weeks ago asked the region to urgently convene the third services conference to conclude all the required bureaucratic procedures . On the other hand, the "No to biodigester" committee which instead asked the Lazio region to suspend the procedure. In the middle, at this point, the Viterbo city council was called into question by the entrepreneurs.
“We ask for a discussion in the city council – continues Iannacco – to discuss any problems caused by the biodigester together with citizen representatives, especially related to safety and traffic. In fact, the arrival of 99 tons of waste per day and 100 trucks per week is expected. Which means possible problems with the road system both within the area, without forgetting the difficulties also linked to the already dangerous at-grade intersection, and along the Teverina where many commuters pass every day on their way to Viterbo. And not just commuters, but many citizens who come to the capital to do their shopping."
Viterbo – The Acquarossa area destined for the biodigester
The Acquarossa industrial area was founded in 2008 by some entrepreneurs from Viterbo. There are approximately 120 lots with economic activities of different nature. The cost of a lot varies between 80 and 100 thousand euros. The lots still available amount to a total of 80 million euros. The Teverina area close to the Acquarossa also sees the presence of a landfill, just beyond that of Monterazzano, and represents an important hub for urban realities such as Grotte Santo Stefano and for municipalities ranging from Celleno to Bagnoregio, from the ghost village in Civita. All fundamental territories for the whole of Tuscia.
Viterbo – The lawyer Daniele Sterrantino
“The institutions are moving – underlines the lawyer Daniele Sterrantino who together with his colleague Stefani Buco are defending the reasons of the committee -. We need a position taken by citizens' representatives because the structure that we want to build will have an impact on an area that is relevant both from an economic, tourism and road point of view. We are also carrying out a collection of signatures against the biodigester which has already reached 400 signatures and we aim to well exceed 500. The idea, which is being discussed within the committee, is also to organize banquets, again to collect signatures against the construction of the biodigester, doing them directly in the city to involve the population as much as possible". So far, in fact, the signatures of the petition have been collected in restaurants and within the activities present within the committee.
No response from the Lazio region regarding the request for suspension made by the committee. “However – Sterrantino points out – there was not even a services conference to complete the procedural process linked to the biodigester advanced by Biometano Tuscia. We are then giving further assignments to experts in the sector – concludes the lawyer – to adequately investigate some aspects. Starting from the real usefulness of the plant for the territory".
